Análisis de Flujo de Potencia

There are several ice-cream parlors operating in Dhaka at present. The size of ice-cream parlors is usually small. Some of the parlors operating currently in Dhaka city are:

BASKIN ROBBINS

The US-based Allied Domecq International's Baskin Robbins is an American ice cream chain has four branches in Dhaka providing tasty and high quality ice cream. Baskin-Robbins has developed over 1,000 flavors of ice cream, sherbet, sorbets, and ices. Since it started operation, their mission was to create delicious ice cream concoctions with loads of ingredients and fanciful names. From the initial concept of 31 flavors - one for every day of the month - Baskin-Robbins has become the largest chain of ice cream stores in the world. The branches are

30 located in Mohakhali, Gulshan Avenue (next to American Fried Chicken), Shantinagar, and Dhanmondi. Though they claim to offer wide variety of ice cream, very few are actually available.

CLUB GELATO

One of the Dhaka's classy ice cream parlors, Club Gelato serves authentic Italian ice cream. It offers a wide range of flavors using the finest ingredients made from fresh milk and processed under hygienic conditions. Flavors range from milk based ice creams to fresh fruity ones. They also have an array of scrumptious fine pastry. The interior of the parlor is neat with an elegant design and stylish environment. However, the price is comparatively higher than any other ice cream parlors.

RAINBOW

Situated in Dhanmondi and Gulshan, this local parlor provides good ice cream for all ages.

Popular with teenagers in the area, it also has a gifts corner. Rainbow has as many as 22 flavors to offer and specials such as the Chocoholic – a combination of chocolate ice cream and syrup.

It has been operating for a very long time and hence has gained in popularity with consumers.

SCOOPS ICE CREAM PARLOR

Situated in Uttara at the Bailey complex, Scoops makes its own ice cream in eight flavors from plain chocolate to mixed fruit. It's one of very few quality ice cream parlors in the area.

IGLOO GELATERIA

This is an outlet opened up by the popular Igloo ice cream company of Bangladesh. They provide many of their own flavors with catchy names such as the Ecstasy Waffle.

MOVENPICK

Move-n-Pick is a premium ice-cream brand of the Move-n-Pick Foods based in Switzerland. It is one of the first foreign ice cream chains to be opened in Dhaka. The ice cream comes in from

31 their corporate factory in Singapore. Move-n-Pick has three ice cream parlors set up in Dhaka.

The first parlor was set up a few years back in Gulshan 2. The other two parlors are both located in Dhanmondi.

AMERICAN SOFT ICE CREAM

It provides machine-made soft ice cream with a choice of chocolate, vanilla, or mixed flavors.

They also offer a variety of other drinks besides the ice cream. It is situated in Gulshan and Dhanmondi. Location-wise, Cream Dream is expected to face stiff competition from American Soft Ice-Cream, mainly because of the price-range of the ice-cream scoops served in the parlor.

The parlor can offer ice-cream at very low prices because of low overhead costs. However, since variety is limited and because the seating arrangement is considerably congested, Cream Dream is likely to be at an advantage over American Soft Ice-Cream.

ANDERSEN’S of Denmark

Andersen is not a separate ice-cream parlor but a part of Chicken King- a fast food shop. It imports the ice cream from Denmark. The prices are high and provides around twenty-flavors.

There are at present two branches in Dhaka, one in Gulshan and the other in Uttara.

DOLCEVITA

Situated in Banani and Dhanmondi, a premier in ice- parlors in Dhaka, it provides quality ice cream at a modest price. The Banani branch has a cyber café adjoining it for customers to have ice cream and browse the web at the same time.

HAPPY JOES

A newly set low-price establishment in the vicinity with limited range of ice-cream scoops.

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Other forces of competition

Threat of new entrants

The amount required for setting up an ice-cream store differs depending on the size of the firms and its production plan. The parlor business is comparatively small and the start up cost is usually quite low if the parlor does not manufacture its own ice cream. Legal barrier is low since only a trade license needs to be acquired. The level of technology is low. As the investment is quite low, it possesses low exit barrier.

Threat from related products - which may be substituted for ice - cream

Substitute products limit the profit potential of an industry be because they limit the prices that firms in an industry can charge. In case of the ice-cream business there are infinite numbers of substitutes- sweetshops, department stores selling chocolates, restaurants offering dessert items on their menu and hence the seller can have little control over prices.

Competitive strategy

Cream Dream will initially consider only the parlors near its location in Dhanmondi as its competitors. There are at present over half a dozen ice-cream parlors. Some of them do offer good quality ice cream at competitive price. Although this presents an obvious challenge in terms of market share, it also indicates the presence of a large, strong potential.

The newest competitors have to make their successful entry based on an innovative concept or novelty. Cream Dream will not only focus on the taste and quality of its ice creams but its uniqueness will also include the innovative sundaes; all being offered at a modest price. Its menu will comprise almost all the flavors that any ice-cream fan can think of.

The aggressive plans also include providing several sugar-free flavors for the diabetic; bigger sized scoops, and the wonderful ambience, lounge, availability of magazines and offering entertainment (video games). All these will provide an advantage to create a good market share

33 before the competition can adjust or similar concepts appear. Each of the competitors may offer one or more of the factors identified as requirements of the customers but Cream Dream will focus on all the attributes catering to their need. Once the customers of Cream Dream have tried its ice-cream, their experience will be reinforced by friendly and efficient service in a homely atmosphere.