Where can a prospective Ben Jerrys franchisee obtain a copy of Unilever's financial statements?
Ben_Jerrys Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
If you would like additional information with regard to Unilever, please contact Franchise Development, Ben & Jerry's Franchising, Inc. at 530 Community Drive, South Burlington, Vermont 05403 and (802) 846-1500. You may also obtain a copy of Unilever's financial statements through the website: www.unilever.com, then by following the link to "Investor Relations" that appears on that page.
Source: Item 1 — THE FRANCHISOR AND ANY PARENTS, PREDECESSORS, AND AFFILIATES (FDD pages 9–16)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Ben & Jerry's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, prospective franchisees can obtain Unilever's financial statements through Unilever's website. The document specifies that you can visit www.unilever.com and then follow the link to "Investor Relations" on that page to access the financial statements.
Unilever is identified as the parent company of Ben & Jerry's. The FDD indicates that Unilever, through its subsidiaries, is a global manufacturer and marketer of various consumer products, including ice cream. Understanding the financial health of the parent company can provide insights into the overall stability and resources available to the Ben & Jerry's franchise system.
Additionally, the FDD mentions that in March 2024, Unilever announced plans to spin off all of its ice cream brands, including Ben & Jerry's, into a separate, stand-alone ice cream company via a corporate de-merger transaction, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2025. In March 2025, Unilever announced that the name of the new ice cream company is "Magnum Ice Cream Company", which will be a publicly traded company. This means that prospective franchisees may also want to monitor the financial information of Magnum Ice Cream Company once it becomes available, as it will directly impact the Ben & Jerry's brand.