Unilever

Highlights for Unilever and Deliverect Partnership Story — TLDR

1. Global Ice Cream Delivery Initiative: Unilever rolled out a direct-to-consumer ice cream delivery service, focusing on its renowned Ben & Jerry’s brand.

2. Embracing Cloud Kitchen Concept: Unilever utilized cloud kitchens and fridge cabinets at local food businesses worldwide to make Ben & Jerry’s available in various consumer markets.

3. Challenges in Sales Reporting and Inventory Management: Unilever faced difficulties obtaining individual product sales reporting and efficiently managing inventory, impacting customer experience consistency.

4. Streamlined Operations with Deliverect: Partnering with Deliverect enabled Unilever to integrate sales data into their ERP system, enhancing back-office IT architecture and supporting accurate tax treatment.

5. Enhanced Inventory and Menu Management: Real-time sales tracking and integration with delivery partners like Uber Eats and Deliveroo reduced out-of-stock issues and allowed flexibility in menu management across multiple locations.

Unilever rolls out global ice cream delivery directly to the consumer with Deliverect’s help.

The world-renowned Ben & Jerry’s doesn’t need an introduction. Unilever acquired the iconic ice cream brand in 2000. Ever since, the brand’s been on top of its game, launching new flavors - including vegan, low-calorie, and non-dairy ones - and making sustainable commitments. 

Cloud cabinets

For years, Unilever has embraced the cloud kitchen concept to get Ben & Jerry’s to its customers - specifically, by selling ice cream from small fridge cabinets at local food businesses worldwide, making the premium brand available to numerous consumer markets.

However, working with many different suppliers made it difficult for Unilever to get individual product sales reporting and efficiently manage inventory, which hindered customer experience consistency. The company chose to team up to offer its delivery customers an improved online ordering experience. The company decided to team up with Deliverect. 

“After our first pilot using sales reports and VBproductstareg, we realized there had to be a better solution,” explains Manuel Augusto, Global Head of Virtual Stores, Quick Commerce Delivery [ICNOW] at Unilever. “We scoured the IT marketplace for integration partners of this kind, and Deliverect was both the earliest to see the enterprise value offering and the most advanced in their development track.”

"The Deliverect team is quick to develop, quick to act and quick to respond to our various technical needs. We are very happy to work with them and consider them to be part of our team."

—Manuel Augusto, Global Head of Virtual Stores, Quick Commerce Delivery [ICNOW] at Unilever.

Streamlining operational efficiency

“Being on board with Deliverect allows us to scale directly to consumer operations within a streamlined back-office IT architecture,” Manuel says. “The integrations we’ve built unlock detailed sales reporting within the ERP. It also helps support accurate tax treatment, lacking before implementation.”

“Real-time sales tracking on the stock-keeping unit (SKU) level is the only way to even attempt to manage inventory spread over thousands of small cabinets worldwide,” she continues. With Deliverect feeding sales data from Unilever’s delivery partners, like Uber Eats and Deliveroo, straight into the company’s ERP system, out-of-stock product is now reduced, further enhancing customer satisfaction. 

Spreading the icecream love around the world

With Deliverect’s support, Unilever can now also push multi-location menu items to the different delivery partner platforms, ensuring their online ice cream offering is always on point. A Unilever Australia & New Zealand spokesperson said they “now have greater flexibility from an operational perspective to test and trail new menu items and bundles through the integration.”

Manuel Augusto confirms Unilever is happy with the integrations built so far: “By leveraging the work and industry relationships that Deliverect has cultivated, we have easily halved the time and material cost of development and deployment of a bespoke solution. The Deliverect team quickly develops, acts, and responds to our various technical needs. We are delighted to work with them and consider them part of our team. They’re helping the Direct-to-consumer services (D2C) team to drive an agile startup culture within Unilever.”