General Mills Selling Häagen-Dazs Shops in China
General Mills has an agreement to sell its Häagen-Dazs shops in Mainland China to an investor group including Ningji, a Chinese company that operates one of the fastest growing tea brands in China with a network of more than 3,000 premium quick-service retail tea shops.
As part of the agreement, the buyer will receive an exclusive license from General Mills to use the Häagen-Dazs brand in ice cream shops and gifting business in Mainland China. General Mills will continue to own and operate the Häagen-Dazs retail and foodservice operations in China.
The proposed transaction is expected to close by the end of this year. Financial terms were not disclosed.
“The transaction aligns with General Mills’ Accelerate strategy and elevates the company’s focus on its brands and channels that provide the strongest opportunities for profitable growth,” the company announcement said. “Since fiscal 2018, General Mills has significantly reshaped its portfolio for growth, turning over nearly one-third of its net sales base through acquisitions and divestitures.”
Big G has seen its sales and net income decline for two years in a row, and both were down in the first three quarters of its current (2026) fiscal year, which just ended in late May.
About the Author
Dave Fusaro
Editor in Chief
Dave Fusaro has served as editor in chief of Food Processing magazine since 2003. Dave has 30 years experience in food & beverage industry journalism and has won several national ASBPE writing awards for his Food Processing stories. Dave has been interviewed on CNN, quoted in national newspapers and he authored a 200-page market research report on the milk industry. Formerly an award-winning newspaper reporter who specialized in business writing, he holds a BA in journalism from Marquette University. Prior to joining Food Processing, Dave was Editor-In-Chief of Dairy Foods and was Managing Editor of Prepared Foods.