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In the UK only Unilever has managed to achieve those economies of scale

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In the UK, only Unilever has managed to achieve those economies of scale.Unilever has such a dominant position that the UK ice cream market has been the subject of no fewer than four competition investigations in 1979, 1994, 1998 and 2000. But though changes have been made, Unilever's dominance has remained unchallenged.This is not to say that new entrants cannot make a mark. McDonald's has gained market share with its launch of soft, whipped ice cream a couple of years ago, with its huge chain of restaurants providing a ready-made distribution channel. Birds Eye Wall's has since launched its own "whippy" style ice cream from machines in newsagents and corner shops.Where is the market heading? One worry is the overall sales decline which is not just down to poor weather. Another factor in the 11 per cent fall in the impulse market on last year is the declining number of small convenience stores and independent newsagents. These are the lifeblood of the impulse sector and they are increasingly losing out to the big supermarket chains.As for the big players.

With Nestl? ice cream business in Britain now set to be combined with that of Richmond, which accounts for 70 per cent of supermarket own-label ice cream, it may be able to give Wall's a better run for its money. Richmond will manufacture the Nestl?rands under licence whilst stripping out overlapping costs to improve margins.A further challenge might come from Mars. Privately owned and able to take the long-term view, it has a stable of brands that are capable of making a mark. For the time being, though, Wall's is sitting pretty with a market share more powerful than virtually any consumer brand apart from Coca-Cola.

Its biggest fear is probably another Competition Commission investigation.. The actor James Nesbitt, 36, was born in Co Antrim, but moved to Coleraine when he was 11. He studied French at the University of Ulster but dropped out after a year to enroll at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London. Since then he has established himself as one of the UK's leading comic actors, recently winning the Best TV Comedy Actor award for his performance as Adam in ITV's acclaimed series Cold Feet. Other television work includes Ballykissangel, Playing the Field and Soldier Soldier, as well as films including Waking Ned and Welcome to Sarajevo, Resurrection Man and Love Lies Bleeding. Nesbitt has just starred in his first leading role in a feature film, the prison-based comedy, Lucky Break, directed by Peter Cattaneo (of Full Monty fame). Nesbitt lives in East Dulwich, London, with his wife and three-year-old daughter.What is it about Cold Feet that taps so effectively into the popular consciousness.

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