Haagen Dazs shores up Phl presence

MANILA, Philippines - Haagen-Dazs, the premium ice cream brand of global food giant General Mills Inc., is shoring up its presence in the Philippines with plans to double its branch network through the opening of company-owned outlets as well as franchising.

Trevor Pickard, Haagen Dazs regional marketing director, said the expansion, which will be undertaken by General Mills subsidiary HD Marketing & Distribution Philippines Inc., is part of a rollout program across Asia.

“Häagen-Dazs created the luxury ice cream market and we’re now gearing up to bring this premium indulgence closer to our patrons by opening more shops throughout Metro Manila,” Pickard said.

Vega Atienza, Haagen Dazs shop operations manager, said the group is initially planning to build five to 10 branches to add to the existing 10 that are mostly located in Metro Manila.

Atienza said Häagen-Dazs will continue to target malls frequented by dynamic young professionals and families.

“Our shops can be presented in various formats to deliver the best Häagen-Dazs experience to consumers. Outlets can be a full-menu café, a dip-shop or kiosk, to as small as a FISO (fit-in, stand-out) stall,” she said.

While the group also plans to open company-owned shops, Atienza said greater focus will be placed on the selection of entrepreneurs who will be their business partners in franchised outlets.

Franchise fees range from P100,000 (for FISOs) to P1 million (for cafes and kiosks), while capital expenditures will range from P1 million (for FISOs) to P3 million (for kiosks) and up to P9 million (for cafes).

Atienza pointed out that Haagen-Dazs outlets can be very profitable and have an estimated payback period of only 2.5 to 3.5 years.

According to Atienza, Häagen-Dazs has been franchising for more than 30 years.

Häagen-Dazs, which remains the best-selling brand in the super premium segment, is currently enjoyed in 50 countries around the world with more than 600 shops and cafes in its global network.

Teams of professionals will help franchisees in site selection, shop design and construction, induction training, and in-store training.

Franchises will also have access to proprietary information such as recipes and operating standards, as well as marketing and promotional support

General Mills manufactures its products in 15 countries and markets them in more than 100 countries. Its product categories in the United States include ready-to-eat cereals, refrigerated yogurt, ready-to-serve soup, dry dinners, shelf stable and frozen vegetables, refrigerated and frozen dough products, dessert and baking mixes, frozen pizza and pizza snacks, grain, fruit and savory snacks, and a variety of organic products including soup, granola bars, and cereal.