Skip to content

Join the Innovation Challenge: Ice Cream Online

We sell our ice creams on delivery apps and through our own online stores. But what other channels can we use for ordering ice cream online? When people have a craving for ice cream, how can we create a simple, quick and seamless experience to get it delivered to them anytime, anywhere?

Submit your idea
A boy in a busy tram placing an order on his phone

Ice Cream Online

Watch: Ice Cream Online
Want to submit your innovative idea?

The challenge is to find new online channels or ways to make ice cream accessible and visible to all consumers that have a craving in the moment.

Our mission

We’re reinventing the way you get your ice cream fix! Picture a virtual store, not your typical supermarket, but actually a digital wonderland within your regular delivery app. Just like ordering pizza, you can now order your favourite ice cream treats (Wall’s, Ben & Jerry’s and Magnum) from our virtual ice cream store.

We’ve partnered with popular on-demand aggregator delivery apps. Gone are the days of waiting in long lines or driving to a shop. With virtual stores, we’ve revolutionised the way you enjoy your favourite frozen treats.

No matter where you are, our delivery drivers can pick up our delicious ice creams and deliver them within 30 minutes. Virtual stores rely on an incredible network of Pick-Up-Points (PUPs) which are like convenience stores that act as magical gateways to a world of deliciousness. These PUPs serve as physical locations where we store and handle our mouth-watering ice creams, ready to be delivered to you.

A lady getting her ice cream delivery delivered at home

More about the challenge​

Our challenge is that there is a large untapped opportunity. Many consumers don’t use delivery apps, which means they can’t find our ice creams online or discover them when they have a sweet craving. So, we need to go beyond our virtual stores on delivery apps and make ice cream unmissable online.

We’re looking for ideas to make ice cream accessible and visible to everyone who has a craving in the moment. What new channels or ways could we tap into to make ice cream available to all consumers anytime, anywhere, leveraging our 10,000 pick-up-points.

Join us on this exciting journey and indulge in a world of frozen delights like never before!

Magnum direct to your door 30 min

Some things to consider

  • Go beyond virtual ice cream stores: We currently have over 20,000 stores actively selling our ice creams globally. You can find them under the name of ‘Ben & Jerry’s’, ‘Magnum’ or even ‘The Ice Cream Shop’. However, we want to expand our reach.
  • Focus on the ‘ice cream first’ occasion where we serve consumers that are simply looking to have an ice cream delivered to their homes. So don’t consider online grocery shopping on grocery.com websites or apps. The ice cream first occasion often happens when consumers crave for ice cream on a busy working day, when spending time with friends, or watching a movie with a partner or their family.
  • Focus on increasing access through new touchpoints (such as websites and platforms) and partners. Think about which other platforms, besides food delivery apps, where we could provide consumers with the opportunity to buy ice cream.
  • Inspiration: We’re looking for channel and/or marketing plans that can generate ice cream sales online. The solution could focus purely on online or could include a marketing idea for offline that generates sales for online.
  • Market: Consider European markets as our priority.

If you need more details or have any questions about the innovation challenge, please reach out to maud.bollen@unilever.com.

Various tubs of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream with several scoops in a bowl.
Back to top