Cold treats to heat up summer sales

For summer dessert, Canadians love a cold one. And with a range of new products on the market, grocers can offer summer treats that appease everyone from kids to coffee lovers.

For instance, Unilever has added a new flavour to its Magnum brand: Magnum Gold, a “rich vanilla bean ice cream with a sea salt caramel swirl enrobed in real Belgian milk chocolate and dipped in a golden coating.”

As Unilever notes, frozen novelties are underdeveloped in Canada relative to the packaged ice cream segment: 70.8 per cent household penetration versus 85.7 per cent for the latest 52 weeks as of September 2012.

“Magnum Gold will bring excitement to the category and introduce new consumers to the Magnum brand,” says Sharon MacLeod, vice-president of marketing at Unilever.

For kids, Unilever has launched Popsicle Hello Kitty in cherry, water- melon, berry and grape. And for the more health-conscious consumer, there’s Fruttare, a premium fruit bar available in six flavours: strawberry and milk; banana and milk; peach and milk; coconut and milk; strawberry; and mango.

Unilever’s Ben & Jerry’s Coffee Toffee Crunch is also hitting shelves this month. “Coffee is one of the largest flavour segments in ice cream and macro trends point to an increased desire in the future,” says MacLeod.

Nestlé is also bringing new flavours to the freezer case, including two new Häagen-Dazs ice cream bars: salted caramel and chocolate peanut butter.

“The ice cream sector continues to have strong ties with confectionery, and within confectionery, caramel and peanut butter remain strong product offerings,” says Carm DaSilva, marketing manager at Häagen-Dazs.

Nestlé’s latest offering for kids is Peelin’ Pops, an ice pop with an edible banana-flavoured gummy peel and a vanilla centre.

Chapman’s, meanwhile, has a new product for active little ones: its 75-mL Sport Lolly Frozen Hydration is designed to “replenish and rehydrate” and is suitable for all ages. Containing natural colours and flavours, the line includes Grape Rush, Wild Berry Blast, Orange Surge and Lemon Lime Launch.

Chapman’s is betting its new line of sundaes, meanwhile, will be the perfect end to summertime family meals. The one-litre sundaes come in six flavours: Strawberry Shortcake, Nutty Caramel, Chocolate Fudge Brownie, Caramel Chocolate Cup, Crunch Peanut Butter and Hokey Pokey, the latter of which is a toffee-flavoured ice cream drizzled with chocolate sauce and topped with chocolate-coffee sponge toffee pieces.

The products will retail for around $3.99. “It’s indulgent but it’s affordable at the same time,” says Mary Breedon, sales and marketing manager at Chapman’s. “The idea is consumers can afford them all the time, not just on occasion or when they’re on special.”