Burton’s Foods has signed a deal with American retail giant Walmart to supply Cadbury Mini Fingers into the majority of its US stores.

The company, which produces Cadbury Biscuits under licence, will increase its exports of the UK-made biscuits in standard and toffee crunch varieties to the US and Mexico via Walmart’s international retail distribution and logistics network from this summer. Burton’s Foods agreed a similar distribution arrangement with Walmart in Brazil earlier this year.

Although the firm said it could not confirm the exact scale of the deal, "the market exposure we’ll gain through Walmart is sizeable, with Cadbury Fingers being distributed in nearly every Walmart retail outlet in the US", explained Steve Newiss, chief commercial officer.

The deal is part of an international growth strategy to boost Burton’s international presence in existing markets Ireland, France, Canada, Sweden and the USA and develop a presence in new markets, such as Russia and China, over the next three years. The firm said it currently has a "moderate presence" across the Americas, but that the increased distribution capacity and market access via Walmart will no doubt generate significant sales volumes.

He said iconic British products have always been well-received in international markets, and the Cadbury brand was increasingly recognised in the US and other parts of the world for its quality, so the biscuit manufacturer was optimistic about the success of this new deal. "The tie-up with Walmart provides a natural fit for Burton’s Foods in the Americas. Walmart’s market presence and access to consumers across this territory undoubtedly provides a perfect vehicle for accessing this large market and delivering an exciting new proposition to consumers," said Newiss.

He added that this tie-up with Walmart could potentially lead to the distribution of the stable of Cadbury Biscuit formats being further extended via Walmart.

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