ting insight though is just how much our fans enjoy the store experience and how much they value the range of choice available in our scoop stores – when lockdowns lifted, we saw huge (socially distant) lines of customers keen to come and grab their favourite ice creams, shakes and sundaes again.” In fact, Lambert said that since the business opened new stores in the past 12 months in Australia and New Zealand, it’s clear that there’s still plenty of room for growth in the region, where there are currently 39 locations. In November, it will open its first standalone store in Wellington, New Zealand.  “We would love to open another 10 scoop stores over the next 18 months in some key target locations so that our fans can get access to our product easier than ever,” he said.  “In terms of growth opportunities, I think one avenue that will really flourish outside of pandemic times will be catering. In other markets globally, we see this being a huge revenue generator for franchisees who can go to weddings, office parties, birthdays and scoop ice cream for guests and provide a really special experience.” Pandemic pivot Like a lot of businesses, Ben & Jerry’s was forced to switch gears when the pandemic hit and protecting and supporting franchisees was vital for the business, while also keeping customers safe, said Lambert. Some of the many changes included quadrupling payment terms for ice cream and negotiating deferrals, rebates and credits with suppliers and landlords on behalf of franchisees, as well as expanding the brand’s delivery portfolio and adding Easi as another aggregator.  “The past year has been challenging for everyone in retail due to the pandemic. At the same time it’s been really rewarding to see the fantastic spirit of our franchisees pulling together in the face of these challenges, working to keep our customers and teams safe,” said Lambert.  “A personal highlight for me was our ‘Thank You’ campaign that we ran in the height of the pandemic, where our franchisees went out into their communities to reward those people on the front lines…handing out free B&J’s as a small token of our appreciation. I think it speaks volumes about the great franchisees we have that, even when their sales are at the most challenging, they still believe in doing the right thing and supporting their communities.” Community champions Apart from its fun flavours and innovative creations like the new dough-alicious pizza, Ben & Jerry’s is well-known for its support of social causes and ‘giving back’ to the community plays a fundamental role in the business. At the moment, the brand is running a campaign called ‘Unfudge our future’, where it is calling on those in power in Australia to reduce the country’s reliance on fossil fuel and to protect the environment. Customers are encouraged to either sign an online petition or a postcard in-store, which will then be sent to the Prime Minister. “I think our customers see a lot more than just ice cream when they visit Ben & Jerry’s. They believe in the causes we are fighting for such as action on climate change, they appreciate that we are made of something more, like Fairtrade, B Corp, Caring Dairy,” said Lambert. “We have had thousands of customers in our scoop stores filling out postcards that we will personally deliver to Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg to hopefully persuade them that renewable energy is the way forward for Australia!”