T H E O R I G I N O F D R E Y E R ÷ S D I R E C T-S T O R E -D E L I V E R Y
In 1935, Bill Dreyer expanded his ice cream parlor business on
Grand Avenue in Oakland, California to include selling packaged
Dreyer÷s Grand Ice Cream to grocers located in the San Francisco
Bay Area. For people to enjoy his ice cream at home as much
as they did in his parlor, Dreyer knew he had to ensure that the
quality of Dreyer÷s Grand would be maintained from the factory
to the grocer÷s freezer cabinet and into consumers÷ hands.
He also knew that ice cream was a grocery staple on the weekly
shopping list of virtually every American family and serving his
grocers would demand frequent deliveries. Dreyer÷s approach
was to run a small fleet of trucks, complete with ice boxes,
to hand deliver Dreyer÷s Grand Ice Cream to his local grocery
customers. He÷d stock his trucks each morning with an inventory
of each of the five flavors in the Dreyer÷s Grand line, creating
a virtual warehouse on wheels. Using this classic ńpack and
peddleî method, his delivery drivers would visit and restock
every grocery store along their route.
While consistent distribution was essential for his success, Bill
Dreyer also recognized that interaction at the store level was
just as important for his future. He knew from the beginning that
every store delivery was an opportunity to present his quality
ice creams directly to consumers and gauge their reaction to his
new flavors, like his signature Rocky Road, just as if he was
serving customers in the parlor.
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