Ben & Jerry’s slashes franchise fee by $20,000

Sarah Stowe

Ice-cream chain Ben & Jerry’s is cutting its franchise fee by $20,000 for a limited time.

The brand describes the price reduction as part of its ‘giving back’ ethos.

The significant changes in the business ownership process will open up the franchise opportunity to more people and give anyone looking to own and operate a small business a chance to be involved in a global network operated by corporate heavyweight, Unilever. 

The $20,000 saving on franchise fees will be available for all new franchisees who sign up before 1 October 2020.

On top of the $20,000 fee cut, the business has been able to reduce establishment and fit-out costs over the last 12 months. 

Bruce Lambert, business development manager, Ben & Jerry’s ANZ, said “Our build costs have decreased vastly over the past year meaning we are doing well to keep capex requirements down, and when you couple this with landlord incentives – we are now able to get franchisees up and trading quicker than before and at a reduced cost.

“We want our support to be felt right across the network and also be in a position to help future franchise partners get into small business.”

Bruce said that sales had “continued to out-perform expectations in the recovery from COVID-19 compared to last year’s figures”.

Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shop locations are now available in Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane and Queenstown – with newly reduced prices ranging from $250,000 to $450,000. 

The news comes as Ben & Jerry’s kicks off a number of campaigns. On the consumer front, the ‘Project Joy’ campaign, gave away free ice cream to first-responders and essential workers on the frontline during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The international ice-cream brand has been around for more than 40 years and now numbers more than 570 outlets in its portfolio across more than 38 countries.