A little over a year after the UK Competition Commission chastised Unilever frozen food subsidiary Birds Eye Wall’s for its strategy involving dedicated distributors and freezer exclusivity, the UK-based group has unveiled a new scheme set to cause controversy in the UK ice cream sector. The group is to retail its new Cornetto soft ice cream products via dedicated dispensing machines that it will lend to 400 outlets, claims a report in the Grocer magazine.
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From April, the new products will be sold in machines adapted only to fit the Cornetto range, expected to be sold under the Cornetto creamy brand. The new product has already been on trial in mainland Europe. The move is likely to provoke protest from rival ice cream manufacturers who will not be able to display their products in the dedicated cabinets.
