Ice cream did well for Anglo-Dutch conglomerate Unilever during the first half of 2012, despite bad weather in northern Europe,CEO Paulus Gerardus Josephus Maria Polman reported July 25.
Highlights of his overall report included:
" Turnover up 11.5% at 25.4 billion euros with a positive impact from foreign exchange of 1.9% and acquisitions net of disposals of 2.2%
" First-half underlying sales growth 7.0% comprising volume growth of 2.8% and price growth of 4.1%. Second quarter underlying sales growth of 5.8%
" Emerging markets underlying sales growth up 11.4% in the first half; up 11.0% in the second quarter.
The success of ice cream, Paulus said, reflects good progress in expanding our global footprint. Magnum delivered high single-digit growth, building on the successful launch in the US with the introduction of Magnum Minis, and with the recent launch of Magnum in the Philippines and Thailand. Cornetto also grew
strongly on the back of the Angels & Devils innovation and a successful digital campaign in China. Ben & Jerry's opened its first premium ice cream shop in Japan. Selecta, a joint venture of Manila-based RFM and Unilever, has seen sales of Magnum ice cream skyrocket after it was launched in March. Magnum's
popularity, especially among the youth market, has resulted in a supply shortage in some stores, but RFM said it has been making more supplies available.
"A lot of consumer commonalities around the feel good, about the technology, the texture, the mouthfeel, the flavor technology [of ice cream]." Paulus observed. Also, the way we go to market in the outer home, it's starting to kick in for us and we're starting to see the benefits once more of this new organizational structure. But even if you peel the onion, and frankly, and you know I'm not a guy that likes to use excuses, but we've had a lousy 6-month on the weather. If you are in ice cream business,
you ought to be worried when it just pours down for 6 months and when you have to wettest spring in living memory. And yet, our total ice cream business over the first half is up over 6%. If the second half, the weather turns a little bit positive for us, we'd be very happy."
