The pandemic changed a lot about our culture and society, but one thing that didn’t falter was Americans’ love for ice cream. In fact, the frozen treat saw a sort of renaissance in 2020, as Food & Wine reported in its annual list of the best ice cream in every state.
Many unlikely entrepreneurs, like the magazine’s featured source, Salvatore Caruso, found themselves diving into ice cream-making as a hobby until it became something bigger, setting off a wave of new ice cream endeavors nationwide. The outlet reports that more than half a dozen ice cream makers popped up in New Orleans alone last year – good news for anyone with a sweet tooth.
Paytronix data lends credence to Food & Wine’s finding: Memorial Day Weekend sales were up 37% over weekend sales year-to-date, representing a 74% increase over the bump in sales over the same holiday period in 2020. In other words, ice cream sales saw the kind of boost that is to be expected during the unofficial start of summer, a clear indication that American consumers are ready to come out of their COVID hibernation and get back to enjoying a deliciously sweet summer season.
Should 2021 follow past years’ trends, the next few months will see sustained weekend ice cream sales at about 137% of the 2021 daily average from January to May of this year.
Time will tell if this is a record breaking summer for ice cream sales. In the meantime, catch the Paytronix team enjoying a cone of Cappuccino Crunch.