Research Paper on:
UK Ice Cream Market Case Study

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the use of exclusivity agreements in return for providing freezers in the confectioners, tobacconists and newsagents (CTN) sector. The firms would provide a freezer to these outlets which were usually  small business (Brennan et al, 2003). The freezer units were provided free of charge as long as the business agreed to stock only that companies products. This would then give  them a great deal of control over this distribution channel and effectively block any competition as most stores would not be able to hold more than a single freezer. They  actively defended this position stating that they had made heavy investment to ensure their products were delivered in the right way, and to allow other firms products into the freezer  would give them an unfair advantage as the did not have to suffer the same costs (Brennan et al, 2003). For Mars it was a strategic decision to take  up the cause and argue that it was anti competitive, a view that was eventually upheld by the Competition Commission in 2000 when it was ruled that there would be  the ability of the business to fill up to half the freezer with a competitors product (Brennan et al, 2003). However until this time Unilever and Birds Eye Walls had  effectively created almost monopoly condition in the CTN market (Brennan et al, 2003). It may also be argued that there was a strategic decision to shift the focus  on the ice cream market away from the vegetable fat childrens products to premium adult product, this was undertaken as the market changes and there was a shrinking childrens market.  It was against this that another strategic marketing decision was made by Mars; the decision to undertake a product extension, launching an ice cream Mars bar taking them into a