How to Make the Most of a Summer in Chocolate

Boost Your Sales: How to Make the Most of a Summer in Chocolate

If you’re in the way of working with chocolate, you probably know that sales for the stuff tend to take a bit of a hit over the summer months.

And, when you think about it, it makes sense, too. Year on year, British summers get hotter, and stickier, with temperatures topping 30 degrees Celsius becoming more commonplace.

Summer is the time when juicy drinks in cold bottles and worryingly bright ice pops jostle for centre stage, leaving winter's warming favourites in the wings.

However, there’s no reason why your business should settle for a siesta! Surf the summer slump and boost your chocolate sales with a few of our fantastically simple yet effective tips.

Consumer Habits in Summer

Before we dive head first into the challenge, it’s helpful to know what we’re up against.

Although there has been a definite shift towards online shopping and ecommerce since lockdown, keep in mind that, this summer, there are no restrictions. That means your consumers will be back out in the community again, going outside more often and for longer periods of time, and, in theory, spending a lot less time inside, boredom-shopping.

However, a couple of positive things to keep in consideration, especially if you have a physical shop, or are planning to sell at outdoor markets this year, are:

1. Good weather makes us impulse buy. It works a little like this:
   Sunshine = dopamine.
   Dopamine = impulsivity for more dopamine.
   Shopping = dopamine.
   Sunshine + Shopping = dopamine, dopamine, dopamine.
2. Warm weather makes people want cool, fruity treats to make us feel more refreshed.

These two things can definitely work in your favour, if you play your cards right. So, what do we need to do to play the winning hand?

Tip One: Bring Down the Temperature

We don’t mean to bring down the temperature of your shop, although, to be honest, that could probably help, too.

What we mean is that one of the reasons chocolate doesn’t sell very well over summer is because it’s thick and, once it’s left to melt in your mouth, becomes warm and coats the tongue - not really what you want on a hot summer's day.

But, working with chocolate is what we do, right? It’s who we are!

One way you can overcome this issue, whilst keeping the essence of your business intact, is to invest in some cooler options.

Gelato and Frappshakes, for instance, are a fantastic solution; they’re cold, they’re incredibly versatile, and they’re cost-effective.

Tip Two: Keep it Clean

When the weather’s hot, there’s nothing you want less than food that’s going to make your mouth feel claggy.

When making your bars and chocolates this summer, try swapping out some of your winter favourite chocolates for some cleaner tasting options.

Clean tasting chocolates are chocolates that don’t linger in the mouth after they’ve melted down or have been swallowed.

Their special production processes and compositions are so that the added milk proteins and fats break down in a specific way.

As a result, these chocolates tend to stick to your mouth a lot less, and are more likely to help you boost your summer sales!

Tip Three: Offer an Adventure of the Senses

Couverture chocolate is probably one of the best canvases for pairings, as the flavour profiles of the chocolates are already so full of complexity to begin with.

Cocoa beans, much like coffee beans, take on a unique, layered depth of flavour depending on:

• The soil
• Climate
• Proximity to other fruit trees at their point of origin
• Their fermentation process.

It’s what gives you the tang of red berries, the ooze of banana, the smokey notes of tobacco and earthy bark.

Compliment your couverture with the right ingredients, and it’s absolute magic!

We’ve been busy in the kitchen, matching some fresh and fruity flavours with our favourite couverture chocolates, for you to try out in your business this summer.

Tip Four: Fluff Your Feathers

The fourth and final tip is all about colour, ribbons and a professional touch - not so much about actual feathers, but it will all make sense in a moment.

This summer, we recommend that you use your packaging like a tropical bird uses its feathers. Tropical birds are adorned in bright, saturated colours for good reason: they attract attention.

Now, no one’s asking you to accompany your flashy colours with a song and dance (although, if you want to, go right ahead), but brightly coloured, unmissable packaging is going to help you tap into that impulse buying habit we were talking about earlier.

What better way to wrap your couverture chocolates and bakes than in the season's finest colours?

And those are our top tips, ladies and gents, we hope you had one or two Eureka! moments along the way.

We’re sure to witness some impressive displays of creativity from our community over on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook this year, and we cannot wait!

For more recipes, articles and everything chocolate this summer, keep up with us on our socials.