ITC’s Master Chef frozen snacks have entered into a planned partnership with Havmor Ice Cream, owned by South Korean conglomerate Lotte Group, to improve distribution reach.
The partnership will allow ITC Master Chef to uplift 100 Havmor Ice Cream carts and make available its range of 15 easy-to-cook snacks. This allows ITC Master Chef to use Havmor Ice Cream’s pushcart distribution network during the peak season for frozen snacks, from November to March, which is generally the non-peak season for ice cream in markets where winter is dominant.
Typically, the frozen food industry sees a 30% increase in sales during the winter compared to the summer months.
Ashu Phakey, the ITC Vice President and Business Head (Frozen Foods), stated that with a strong distribution model in the ice cream space, they are confident that Havmor Ice Cream’s consumer centricity and extensive reach will complement ITC’s capabilities in creating innovative products to enhance the overall value offering for customers.
Komal Anand, Managing Director and CEO of Havmor Ice Cream, stated that it helps ITC Master Chef increase availability during the winter season while also allowing Havmor Ice Cream’s channel partners to generate additional revenue during the winter months.
“Expanding pushcart operations is an integral part of Havmor Ice Cream’s strategy to enhance its reach.” Given that the frozen supply chain in India is evolving, leveraging the existing eco system to expand reach at optimised cost will continue to remain a focus area, “Anand added.