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Barilla, whose Gocciole biscuits are the best sellers in Italy,
said the partnership would increase demand for its cookie and
snack brands especially in the summer season.
It will also help the group be more competitive in selling both
sweet and salted snacks in the out-of-home channels where it
competes with large foreign groups and chocolate confectioner
Ferrero.
"We are convinced that the ice cream market offers interesting
prospects and we know that we have brands and products that are
of great interest to the Italian consumer," Barilla's Head of
Italy Region Francesco Del Porto said.
"Our ambition is also to be increasingly present in the
out-of-home sector, thanks to the Unilever Group, which has very
long experience and an extensive distribution network."
Ice creams developed together with Cornetto-seller Algida will
build on the successful launch of Barilla's cookies filled with
chocolate spread and the sale of cereal bars, which have built
the Parma-based group's presence in the snack segment.
The partnership will be operational from January 2022 and will
initially cover Italy, with the aim of expanding to other
European countries, the two groups said.
For Unilever the agreement is an opportunity to offer new
products in a sector that is increasingly competitive.
In 2017 Unilever clinched a similar alliance with Barilla's
rival Ferrero, helping the confectioner enter the frozen sweet
sector both in Italy and abroad.
(Reporting by Francesca Landini; editing by Barbara Lewis)
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