A debut that promises to reshuffle the cards on the packaged ice cream market. This was announced by the Ferrero Group which will launch a line of products for large-scale distribution. For the giant from Alba, which in 2017 had launched the three-year collaboration with the multinational Unilever to develop a line of Kinder-branded ice creams, this is an important step change. For several reasons. The first, and most important, is the fact that the entire research and development process on the product and the entire production phase is carried out by Ferrero and no longer in partnership.
The entire market of packaged ice cream is worth only in Italy a total of 1.9 billion euros and in the large-scale retail trade, in particular, 60% of the total packaged ice cream purchased in the country is sold, for a value of 1.2 billion. This is the third segment, by volume, in the packaged confectionery sector sold on the shelf.
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Ferrero’s strategy for launch in Italy will focus on two specific product categories, the “sticks”, with the Ferrero Rocher brand in the Classic and Dark versions, and Raffaello, alongside the popsicles with Estathé Ice, offered in lemon and peach flavors. Five easy-to-identify recipes will be distributed as early as April in all GDO channels.
The development of Ferrero ice creams and ice lollies, the Group highlights in a note, “has been further strengthened thanks to the synergies with Ice Cream Factory Comaker (ICFC) – a global leader in Spain, specialized in the development and production of ice cream products. , with more than fifty-five years of experience – of which the Ferrero Group acquired control in 2019 ». Therefore, the collaboration phase with Unilever closed, in 2020, Ferrero tries again but directly dealing with production, thanks to the know-how acquired after the operation with ICFC.
The goal is to become an important player in the world of packaged ice cream in the large-scale retail trade and try to dictate new rules in the sector, a bit like it was for Nutella Biscuits, which in a few months became the most consumed biscuit in Italy.