Sales of self serve soft ice cream machines have taken off in the forecourt sector, according to Malibu Corporation.
It reports that its sales in the forecourt sector have doubled this year and that it has struggled to maintain stock levels due to such high demand.
With retailers looking to supplement the slim margins from fuel, many have installed coffee machines. Malibu Corporation’s marketing manager Kate Keating says that with a mark-up of over 700%, soft ice cream is one of the closest items to coffee in terms of profit but appeals to a much wider target market.
The self serve model dispenses a set portion at the touch of a button and can be fitted with a coin-operated mechanism or a wired remote for added control. Its self-pasteurising function has proved popular with staff as it reduces cleaning from twice a week to once a fortnight and reduces wastage by up to 75%.
Leonard McCullagh, owner of the Glendale Service Station in Omagh, Northern Ireland, who has recently invested in a new self serve machine, said: “We’re very happy with it – it’s easy to use and the customers love it.”
Kate added: “Smaller sites struggling for counter-space have found Malibu’s compact machines to be the ideal option and these have also been a great success this year.
“We’ve worked hard to improve and expand our range of machines to suit more business types and it’s great to see it paying off, especially in this sector.”
Malibu Corporation is a family-run company that has been selling ice cream machines for over 30 years. It is the approved supplier for Costcutter Retail Group, and supplies other symbol groups such as Spar, Budgens and Londis as well as independent businesses.
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