How do you work with retailers?
Our key account, brand and shopper marketing teams work closely with retailers to drive growth for our customers and our business. We do this with laser focus on the consumer and collaboration is key as we innovate against their relevant needs and trends. In addition to this, our team visits customers’ stores several times a month – it’s the best way to understand what they need and ensure we’re delivering it, as well as keep up to speed with what’s going on in the market.
In terms of the convenience channel, we’re involved with several convenience store associations as a business and spend as much time as possible engaging with independent retailers across the country. This is important to us considering the channel has unique needs in comparison to grocery and is seeing such positive growth.
Tell us about the new Fruit Obsessions tubs.
We’re really excited about this launch as it positions Häagen-Dazs as one of the few luxury ice cream brands to offer a fruit and triple texture product. Created with a unique blend of pure juice and real fruit pieces, the invigorating flavours are perfectly crafted to ignite summer senses and provide the ultimate refreshment all year round.
Made with real fruit and no colours or artificial flavours, there’s two delicious options to choose from: White Peach & Raspberry and Lemon & Mandarin.
The exquisite ingredients that go into these two products have been sourced from across the globe. The white peaches come from South East Asia, and we turn them into a puree that’s stirred into our ice cream base. This creates a taste profile that is delicate and refreshing, just like a whole white peach.
We chose the Mediterranean region for our lemons and mandarins, where the climate coupled with the volcanic soil creates the ideal conditions to grow and amplify the flavour of the fruit.
Harvested between February and March, they are pressed fresh and produce a juice with crisp flavour notes.
This selection of flavours follows the continued dedication from Häagen-Dazs to create ice cream with the highest quality ingredients. In store now, Fruit Obsessions offer the perfect indulgence and tap into the demand for ice cream all year round.
Why have you relaunched Häagen-Dazs Sticks?
Since launching in 2015, Häagen-Dazs Sticks have offered a combination of exceptional quality ice cream and indulgent Belgian chocolate. However last year we saw an opportunity to renovate the product and redefine the Handheld category.
Sticks now have a totally fresh look and we’ve upped the indulgence of the recipe. The new and improved chocolate is perfect for that first bite moment, while the signature crunchy inclusions have been stirred into the coating for ultimate luxury.
Thanks to this, consumers no longer have to choose between premium ice cream or premium coating – they can now have the best of both. In fact, our research showed 87% of shoppers would trade up if they could have premium ice cream and premium coating in one product, which means increased sales for retailers.
What are the biggest trends in premium ice cream?
Consumer palettes and preferences regularly change when they are buying into the sweet treat occasion. Today, we’re beginning to see a trend towards refreshing fruit flavours.
In fact, 9% of all sweet treat occasions are driven by the ‘refresh me’ need1, which can be adapted to suit all seasons. We’ve tapped into this with the launch of the Fruit Obsessions collection. The range will help retain shoppers who previously had to exit the ice cream category to fulfil their need for real fruit flavours.
Are low calorie variants important to the ice cream sector?
By far the biggest consumer trend over the last 12 months has been the demand for lower calorie options. This has created the opportunity for ice cream brands to appeal to a new generation of more health-conscious consumers.
In early 2019, we launched our 150 Calorie Gelato Collection as the perfect combination of low-calorie and luxury.
Available in our mini cup format, the 150 Calorie Gelato Collection holds the same characteristics as all our ice cream. It offers a richer, creamier and more velvety experience than any other on the market. Created with 30% less sugar and 50% less fat, the Caramel Swirl and Chocolate Drizzle were developed with traditional Italian Gelaterias in mind.
It has been hugely successful, contributing a staggering £3m to the Wellness category2. Not only this, but this permissibly indulgent range has one of the highest repeat purchase rates at 29%3.
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