Unilever has unveiled a host of ice cream NPD aimed at driving impulse sales - and tapping what it claims is “the biggest incremental sales opportunity in fmcg in 2014”.

New Unilever products launching into the handheld market include Cornetto lines such as the 160ml Choc ‘n’ Ball (rsp: £1.75), a cone with a large portion of ice cream on top. It is also revamping Cornetto Premium and adding the first Cornetto PMPs - 90ml £1 Classico and Strawberry cones.

Kids are being targeted with a bubblegum-flavoured Calippo (rsp: 90p) and the rollout of Funny Feet into the impulse market (see p5). For adults, there’s a new mojito-flavoured Solero (rsp: £1.20 single/£2.49 three-pack) that contains trace amounts of rum.

Meanwhile, the boom in Greek yoghurt sales has inspired a new Ben & Jerry’s Greek-style frozen yoghurt in 150ml tubs for impulse and 500ml take-home tubs.

Many supermarkets were missing out on sales by not placing ice cream freezers at the front of store with sandwiches and soft drinks, said Unilever ice cream director Noel Clarke. “Ice cream is the biggest incremental sales opportunity in fmcg in 2014,” he claimed, adding that Brits ate far less ice cream than consumers in countries with similar climates, such as Ireland. “The game changer in unlocking impulse shopping is to get ice cream right in front of consumers - do that and Brits will eat it more often.”

He said he was talking to retailers about opportunities for driving sales such as offering discounts on an impulse ice cream when shoppers bought a newspaper.

Unilever is also spending £13m on its biggest-ever ad push for Magnum and is widening distribution of silver Marc du Champagne Magnum, currently only in Tesco.

Carte d’Or, meanwhile, is being revamped, and expanded with the five-strong Gelateria range.

Topics