National Frozen Yogurt Month 2017: Reflections on Frozen Yogurt Trends

Fro-yo girl here. It’s June which means it’s the 24th annual National Frozen Yogurt Month. The first National Frozen Yogurt Month was declared by TCBY. National Frozen Yogurt Day is the first Sunday in June, or June 4, 2017. It’s also the time of year that I like to look at frozen yogurt trends.

Looking at Google Trends, one sees the continual slow decline in the number of searches for the term, frozen yogurt. The peak occurred in July 2013. The number of searches for frozen yogurt shows a cyclical pattern, with fewer searches during the winter months and localized peaks in the summer months.

Interestingly, the number of searches for the term "Greek yogurt" also peaked in 2013 and have been declining since. The search pattern there is different because the number of searches peaks in January, when people are presumably thinking about New Year’s resolutions like eating healthier. The number of searches for the term acai bowl is definitely on the rise though more so in Australia than in the US.

It's interesting to look at the searches by region. The top 5 countries by interest in frozen yogurt are #1. United States, #2. Canada, #3. Denmark, #4. Greece and #5. Australia. These were also the top five countries last June though tiny Denmark (population 5.676 million) has overtaken Greece (population 10.82 million). The two most popular related queries were “yogurt near me” and “frozen yogurt near me.” Consumers are clearly looking for frozen yogurt shop locations. A couple of years ago, they were searching for Pinkberry but now they're searching for Menchie's.

Everyone that I’ve spoken to has mentioned the number of frozen yogurt store closures. I’ve seen many frozen yogurt stores that didn’t have anything unique to offer. Even some frozen yogurt chains lack personality. This is the time that the shops that survive should be sure that they have established a distinct brand identity and that they’ve actively cultivated the loyalty of their customers. It’s a good time to emphasize product quality and customer service. In the end, the places that I want to return to are the higher quality shops. I’d like to see healthier options (lower sugar) too. Places like Yoga-urt in Glendale, CA, Easy Breezy Frozen Yogurt in San Francisco, CA and Culture in New York that make frozen yogurt in small batches, from scratch.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.