There’s no doubt that the iconic and Unilever-owned brand Ben & Jerry’s remains dominant in this space, with a market share of 29% in the UK alone as recently as 2017.

But what’s at the heart of the brand’s enduring popularity and should you consider investing in Ben & Jerry’s? We’ll answer all of these questions below:

Ben & Jerry’s – A Brief History

The brand was created by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, with the first corporeal store opened in a converted Burlington gas station back in 1978.

The pair decided to create and sell ice cream after abandoning their initial ideal of dealing in bagels, largely because the equipment required to produce high-quality food was too prohibitive.

The original scoop shop quickly became a community favourite, thanks primarily to its rich and creative ice cream flavours. At the same time, Ben and Jerry made a real effort to connect with and invest in the local community, even selling pints of their products to local grocers to help spread the wealth and meet demand.

By 1981, the operation had been expanded, with the first franchise store subsequently set up in Shelburne, VT. Two years later, the company opened its first-ever non-Vermont franchise in Maine, before signing a distribution deal with a Boston distribution firm and settling on its unique signature flavours (including Cherry Garcia and New York Super Fudge Chunk).

By 1987, Ben and Jerry’s sales had peaked at $32 million, while the firm was active in 18 states by the end of 1988.

The company has scarcely looked back since, growing exponentially throughout the 21st century while maintaining an interest in social issues and continuing to produce innovative flavour combinations.

Should You Invest in Ben & Jerry’s?

Interestingly, Ben & Jerry’s parent company Unilever saw its revenues decline through the first half of 2021, plunging to €26 billion in total.

However, the Ben & Jerry’s brand has maintained relatively impressive sales figures and remains the top-ranked ice cream brand in the US, generating approximately $936 million in the 52 weeks ending September 2021.

Over time, the brand has also built a market cap value of $101.51 billion as of September 14th, 2022, making it a highly coveted asset among investors.

You can also invest in the brand in numerous ways. For example, you can trade Ben & Jerry’s in a CFD or similarly speculative vehicle at present, enabling you to profit and operate flexibly without assuming ownership of the underlying shares.

However, Ben & Jerry’s stock also offers value as a more traditional ‘buy and hold’ investment option, particularly as it’s now established as blue-chip equity that continues to appreciate incrementally (and reliably) year-on-year.

This means that you can buy Ben & Jerry’s shares outright through the Nasdaq or FTSE 100 index, holding onto such assets as they continue to appreciate over time.

So long as you identify a viable exit point and sell your shares at a time when you can realise an optimal profit, you can trade the brand’s stock efficiently and leverage its incremental growth to your advantage.