Chocolate peanuts, blackberry balsamic or lemon basil? There is no end to the range of unusual ice cream creations in German ice cream parlors. But it is not only noticeable which culinary combinations seem rather peculiar for one’s own palate, but also how inflation has an impact.
Experts call this “perceived inflation” when, for example, you notice when paying for ice cream balls in cash that these have become more expensive. This is particularly noticeable to many consumers when the ball suddenly costs more than two euros.
Operator costs are going up
Of course, inflation also affects the ice cream market. Freezers and chest freezers in particular consume a lot of electricity, which drives up the ancillary costs of local ice cream parlors. The price increases for milk and cream have meanwhile climbed to over 40 percent. Last but not least, rising rents and personnel costs are also reflected in the price of ice cream.
Annalisa Carnio, General Secretary of the Uniteis association, finds the debate too emotional, as she told the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung” (NOZ). “In Germany you pay the least for a scoop of ice cream in all of Europe,” she said. Uniteis represents the interests of around 1,000 members who, according to the association, operate 2,200 ice cream parlors across Germany.
Especially those who nostalgically look back to the past with ball prices of 30 pfennigs do not necessarily have in mind that a lot has changed in Germany since then. Between 1991 and 2019, not only have consumer prices corrected upwards by 48.1 percent, but also wages by 60.7 percent. Ergo: More money is left for ice cream. In addition, the economic conditions for running an ice cream parlor have changed as a result of collective bargaining agreements and minimum wages.
Seven minutes and 23 seconds for popsicles
The Institute of German Economics (IW) knows exactly where the inflation is noticeable: the purchasing power per wage minute for ice cream on a stick has fallen. In concrete terms, this means that today it takes an average of seven minutes and 23 seconds to produce a popular vanilla ice cream with a chocolate coating on a stick. That’s 13 seconds more than it was last year. According to the IW, this does not apply to the tub of ice cream in the supermarket, here you can afford more for your working hours these days.
However, the Hamburg consumer advice center warns against deceptive packs: almost half of the ice packs are filled with air because the ice cream is beaten with air industrially. Here the price is given for the volume, i.e. calculated on the liter and not on the number of grams. So the airy ice appears much cheaper than it really is.
In the future, more ice cream will probably be sold rather than less. “Climate change is also having 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. So there is plenty of time to treat yourself to something and try out a wide variety of flavors.
