TORONTO — Baskin-Robbins celebrated its 50-year anniversary earlier this month.
“We experienced tough times about 10 years ago,” says Mike Gooding, the longest-tenured representative of Baskin-Robbins in Canada with 34 years of service. “We were at a crossroads and, in hindsight, I’m relieved we picked the right path. Our business has been thriving ever since.”
The catalyst to renewed prosperity was, in large part, the introduction in 2012 of a new store design labelled “Happy 1.0.”
The design featured clean white tiles complemented by pink and blue walls and boasted various seating capacity in each of the brand’s existing shops. Now, the brand is on the cusp of launching its newest in-store design, Moments, an evolution of the concept that first turned things around.
The brand also introduced new frozen beverages and non-dairy ice cream options and “Creature Creations 1.0 and 2.0” and a growing assortment of cakes and delivery now offered at almost every location in the country.
“We’ve hit our stride, especially in relation to keeping our classic flavours while, at the same time, innovating continually,” says Anna Colacchio, the brand’s second longest-tenured representative in Canada with 33 years of service. “There’s always something new and yet you’ll still find the reliable and comforting favourites.”
