PHOENIX -- The Inventure Group Inc. said that the vending channel test marketing results for Burger King-brand salted snacks exceeded managements' expectations in fourth-quarter 2007. Based on these results, the company intends to pursue a national rollout of the brand into the vending channel.
The company said it expects this national channel expansion to improve capacity utilization at its Bluffton, Ind., manufacturing facility, where all Burger King snacks are produced.
Test marketing in convenience store, drug store and grocery store channels beginning in first-quarter 2008 has [image-nocss] generated significant retailer interest, the company added. It said it expects mass merchandiser and club store tests to commence in the first half of 2008. And Burger King restaurants are scheduled to test the Ketchup & Fries snack product throughout first-quarter 2008 in certain markets in Ohio and Florida.
The company said that is developing additional new items for the Burger King snack brand for potential test marketing in the second half of the year to complement the Ketchup & Fries and Flame Broiled items.
Eric Kufel, president and CEO, said, "Strong initial shipments and consumer takeaway from the vending channel led to our decision to implement full national expansion into one of the company's largest channels. We intend to implement Burger King brand salted snack test markets in other major channels during the first half of 2008. Though still early in the test market process, the brands' vend channel performance has exceeded our test market expectations to date and we are cautiously optimistic about the potential of this exciting new brand."
The snacks are produced under a licensing agreement negotiated by BKC's agent, Montclair, N.J.-based Broad Street Licensing Group.
With manufacturing facilities in Arizona, Indiana and Washington, Phoenix-based The Inventure Group is a marketer and manufacturer of specialty brands in indulgent and better-for-you food categories under a variety of company-owned or -licensed brand names, including T.G.I. Friday's, Burger King, Rader Farms, Boulder Canyon Natural Foods, Poore Brothers, Tato Skins and Bob's Texas Style.
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