Creating an atmosphere
When (potential) customers come into the gelato parlour, they need to see straight away that nothing has been left to chance: the furnishings, colours and lighting have to be in harmony.
When we come into a new place, all five senses are stimulated: good music (preferably in the background) and a pleasant atmosphere will attract people back more often and they will buy more. The colours of your furnishings, the layout of your products, and the cleanliness of your showcases are all vital. Any carelessness on your part will reflect on the image of your product.
The importance of marketing
With so many gelato shops to choose from, customers tend to make their choices in a fragmented and inconsistent way; so it’s much harder for a gelato-maker to create loyalty, before we even get into product quality. And so it is paramount to communicate what you are offering and its unique qualities, tell a “story”, and win them over at an emotional level.
If you are going to win over your customers' loyalty, follow a few key rules:
• find out what their needs and desires are
• create a product and service to satisfy those needs and desires
• promote and distribute the product or service
Especially outside Italy, a product like Italian gelato needs some form of introduction. Set aside an area inside your gelato parlour to tell your customers how it is produced, what ingredients are used, their origin (e.g.. pistachios from Bronte, hazelnuts from the Langhe district, Ecuadorian cocoa, Sicilian oranges, etc.), their healthiness (e.g.. the benefits of red fruit and of nuts).
This must be reflected in your parlour’s name and logo, in the store design and informational material.
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