Häagen-Dazs closure sets Twitterverse abuzz

News of food processing firm General Mills pulling out of the Philippine set Twitterverse abuzz, particularly from those who patronized the company’s more recognizable ice-cream brand Häagen-Dazs.

 

Many were saddened by the news.

 

Twitter user RJ Macalinao (@rjmac15) said, “So its Goodbye Haagen Dazs Philippines! So sad! Love their cookies and cream!”

 

Marga Deona (@marga_deona), echoed the sentiment saying “General Mills says goodbye to PH. I'm sad Haagen-Dazs will be gone...”

 

Meanwhile, Hsiao Wei Chan (@purpleliligirl) said, “No more Haagen-Dazs in the Philippines :( this is serious :|”

 

Among those who were troubled by the ice cream brand’s discontinuation was designer Cecile Zamora-Van Straten, who wrote about it on her blog Chuvaness.

 

“Every Halloween on my Dad’s birthday, we look forward to an all-we-can-eat Häagen-Dazs cart… Guess this year we won’t have any,” Zamora-Van Straten wrote on her blog.

 

Overpriced

 

However, she also said that she found the ice cream “severely overpriced.”

 

Others on Twitter agreed, faulting the brand’s prices for its failure to hang on to the local market.

 

“Goodbye Haagen Dazs PH, you're just too expensive for the Filipinos,” said user Jun Coloma (@wildwickedfish).

 

Yanyan Avila (@iamyan2xavila) added, “So its Goodbye Haagen Dazs for Philippines! So sad! Love their cookies and cream! Too pricey kasi eh.”

 

John Michael Gonzaga (@iJhnMchL) quipped, “Goodbye Haagen Dazs, ang mahal mo kase, hanggang magnum lang dapat. Haha!”

 

Other brands?

 

Some tweeters also bid goodbye to other General Mills brands such as Pillsbury, Gold Medal, and Betty Crocker.

 

@imsonotconio said “aside from haagen daz, theres no betty crocker and pillsbury too? WTF?! “

 

Victoria Chan (@vbchan) said “pullout of all pillsbury, betty crocker, nature valley, haagen dazs, and gold medal products starting september T_T”

 

Angelicum Oda (@angelicumoda) said “I wasn't so concerned about Haagen Dazs, but Betty Crocker? Oh sadness.”

 

Häagen-Dazs said on its website it has ceased café operations in the Mall of Asia and Robinson’s Mall branches last June 30.

 

It said that branches in Shangri-la Plaza Mall and Eastwood Mall will be closing on August 31.

 

According to Business World Online, General Mills will stop taking sales orders by the end of September.

 

In addition, the report said General Mills products will be sold in retail stores only until supplies last.

 

According to the report, General Mills decided to close their 12-year old Philippine operations country because business has been “consistently challenging.”

 

“The decision has been made at the highest levels in General Mills after [the] consideration of all options. We simply can no longer sustain our business in the increasingly challenging environment we face,” General mills said in the report. 

 

The report also noted that the company’s closing will cost 60 Filipino employees their jobs. — VS, GMA News