HLL launches softy kiosks

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, SEPT. 20. The fast moving consumer goods major Hindustan Lever has signalled its foray into the softy segment of the Rs. 1,000-crore ice cream market with the launch of softy kiosks here.

With the entry of Hindustan Lever, the softy segment, largely the preserve of small time restaurants and individual outlets, will, for the first time, see the presence of an organised player.

HLL Kwality Wall's will offer superior quality softy at an affordable Rs. 5 per cone.

According to Mr. J. H. Mehta, executive director and head of the ice cream business, Hindustan Lever, chose to launch softy first in Chennai following a survey which had found the habit of `out of home consumption of drinks' the most people here.

The softy kiosks would be installed tamper proof containers (TPC) and run on franchisee model. These machines, costing around Rs. 7 lakhs each, would be supplied by Hindustan Lever. The company had already sought a patent for this machine. The machine would ensure that there was no human contact with the ice cream right from the factory till the consumer got the softy in his hands, he said.

Within the next couple of months, 45-50 such kiosks were expected to spring up in the city. The objective was to spread softy kiosks to 7-8 cities across the country over time, Mr. Mehta said.

Hindustan Lever, he said, was endeavouring to change the profile of ice cream from a niche product to mass product. Mr. Mehta saw in softy a new ``emerging and promising segment'' in the ice cream market. The industrial ice cream segment in the total market was worth Rs. 600 crores and Hindustan Lever's share in this was Rs. 172 crores last year.

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