Betty Ice posts 20% growth

Betty Ice, the biggest Romanian ice cream producer in terms of sales, in the first six months saw a 20% sales growth from H1, 2008. HoReCa turnover is falling, though, on consumers’ shrinking incomes. “A sales decline of as much as 30% is being felt on the HoReCa segment,” stated Vasile Armenean, Betty Ice owner. He also said the current economic environment has hurt the overall ice cream consumption. “The problem at this point is not consumer demand, but the cash shortage stores are coping with, hindering ice cream deliveries as well,” Armenean said. However, the most important factor directly impacting ice cream sales is weather, as the Romanian market has a strong seasonal character, with 60-70% of total volumes being sold in June-July. Betty Ice sales rose in April-May 2009, but declined in June from a year ago because of the rainy weather, Armenean also said. Betty Ice last year generated sales of around 20m euros. The company owns a plant in Suceava, which can produce around 100 tonnes of ice cream daily.