You’re probably more likely to be thinking about removing ice from the pathways around your store than about ice cream sales by the time November arrives – but ice cream does sell all year round and it might be worth a moment’s thought this winter to ensure you have the right types of ice cream visible in your frozen section to ensure good sales throughout the period.

Unsurprisingly, 71% of annual ice cream sales are from April to September when the weather is hot – but shoppers also enjoy ice cream on top of a hot apple crumble, in hot cocktails (yes, really) and even with their Christmas pudding (though traditionalists prefer brandy butter!)

There are certain formats and brands which buck the summer ice cream trend and have 'less seasonal' sales. The above charts show which type of ice cream perform better in the winter – ice creams served at the table which perform best. As an example, 52% of ice cream rolls sold between April-September and 48% of rolls sold between October- March.

If your freezer is in a fixed, key position all year round, seasonal merchandising will be especially important as you don’t want unseasonal items taking up prime space. The key is to ensure tubs, rolls, desserts and brick format ice creams are available – and allow the summer favourites, sticks, choc ices, sandwiches and cones to take a back seat for the winter.