Franchising.net.au:
Cookie franchise Mrs. Field’s Australia has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with New Zealand Natural Ice Cream to develop co-branded stores in Australia.
Mrs. Fields Australian managing director, Andrew Benefield, said the product synergies between the two brands made it a logical partnership. “I believe that co-branded outlets still need to have an offer that makes sense to consumers. Cookies and Ice Cream are a natural fit,†he said. “There are lots of complementary products we can develop such as ice cream sandwiches, affagatos and brownie sundaes.â€
The new combined operations would also be instrumental in helping the franchisee smooth the daily and seasonal sales curve, he suggested. “Ice cream is obviously a popular item in summer as are cookies in winter. However they are also complementary during the course of a single day as coffee and cookies are strong in mornings, and ice creams and smoothies are big in the afternoon. Both have a very similar frozen goods supply chain, making it an easy fit into rear of house operations.â€