Unilever merges distribution of Algida and Napoca

Unilever starts this year's battle on the ice cream market by merging distribution of domestic Napoca brand, taken over in 2009, with that of Algida products imported from other markets. Macromex remains the biggest distributor of products of the company's ice cream unit, but in Cluj, a key county for Napoca, Unilever will have direct ice cream distribution this summer. "Unilever South Central Europe's ice cream distribution system includes both direct distribution, for Cluj and Satu Mare counties, as well as indirect one, through distributors. Unilever's biggest distributor domestically is Macromex," specified Albert Davidoglu, a customer development director with Unilever South Central Europe. The move to unify distribution systems will boost Macromex' business with Unilever in 2010. The partnership between the two companies was sealed in early 2009 for Algida brands, most of which are premium brands. Napoca, taken over last year from Friesland Foods, is a medium price brand, a segment on which the Anglo-Dutch company last summer launched a product created in Poland especially for the Romanian market, Big Milk.