The umbrella organization of Italian ice cream parlors in Germany does not consider the criticism of the high ball prices to be justified. In other European countries, a bullet sometimes costs “double or triple,” said Annalisa Carnio, Secretary General of the Uniteis association, of the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung” (“NOZ”).
The association’s website even says: “In Germany you pay the least for a scoop of ice cream in all of Europe.” The price debate in Germany is “excessively emotional and wrongly puts the ice cream parlors in a bad light,” says Carnio.
Costs have increased significantly
Carnio cited higher rental and energy costs as the reason for the increased ball prices. In addition, the lack of staff in the industry is noticeable. That’s why there is more ice cream to go in waffles or cups instead of table service. “Otherwise, the operation is hardly economically viable,” said Carnio. Overall, according to the Federal Statistical Office, producer prices for ice cream rose by almost 30 percent from 2022 to 2023.
According to the association, ice cream parlors only make around ten percent of the ball price in profit – but taxes still have to be deducted from this. The purchase of goods is therefore 23 percent of the ball price, and 30 percent is used for personnel costs. Another 30 percent is spent on rent, insurance, advertising costs, maintenance and the like. Added to this is the reduced VAT of seven percent.
However, the climate crisis with the increasingly hot weather has positive consequences for the ice cream business. “Climate change also has an impact on the ice cream season because summers are getting hotter and longer overall and the desire to cool down is increasing,” says Carnio.
Fewer ice cream parlors
The Uniteis association represents the interests of around 1,000 members who, according to the association, operate 2,200 ice cream parlors across Germany. According to the Federal Statistical Office, the number of ice cream parlors that generate more than 22,000 euros in taxable annual sales has decreased significantly in recent years. In 2022 there were almost 5,000. In 2002 the number had been around 6,800.
According to the Federal Association of the Confectionery Industry, consumers consumed an average of 8.1 liters of ice cream in 2022.
