J & J Snack Foods has acquired Whole Fruit Sorbet and Fruit-a-Freeze frozen fruit bar brands, along with related assets and a manufacturing facility, from CoolBrands International.
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J & J is already active in the frozen dessert category through its Luigi’s Real Italian Ice Cream brand and Minute Maid novelty products, which it manufactures under license. Fruit-a-Freeze is a premium fruit bar featuring while Whole Fruit Sorbet is sold mainly in pints and is known for its wholesome, healthy and upscale fruit flavours.
The CoolBrands businesses have seen sales plummet over recent years, with sales dropping to approximately US$10m in 2006. The company said that it expects sales to total less than $2m in the current financial year, but added that it is optimistic at the prospect of rebuilding the brands.
The products will be sold through J & J’s food service and retail supermarket business segments.
Commenting on the deal, Gerald B. Shreiber, J & J’s president and CEO, said: “These two premium brands add to our expanding portfolio of frozen novelty products. Our goal is to improve upon their recent performance in the retail supermarket segment as well as to expand their presence in the food service market. In addition, the manufacturing facility gives us a west coast plant for manufacturing frozen novelty products that is expandable in the future which would benefit logistics over the long term.”
