The company has partnered with New-York based distributor The Brand Passport for the US roll-out.
Stroopwafels are soft, toasted wafers filled with caramel, cinnamon and Bourbon vanilla. Daelmans produces three varieties: caramel, honey and maple.
Brand Passport CEO Tom Daly told ConfectioneryNews stroopwafels had been a top snack in the Netherlands for over a century.
He said the Daelmans family thought it was time to expand beyond Europe and build its brand in the largest cookie market in the world, the US.
Low product awareness
“Unless one had travelled to Holland where they might have become familiar with stroopwafels, awareness of the product form in the USA would be quite low until now.
“There are virtually no examples of authentic Dutch stroopwafel brands distributed in leading retail channels,” he said.
Daelmans stroopwafels will be positioned in the cookie aisles of grocery and specialty shops next to similarly-priced premium brands like Pepperidge Farm and Walkers Shortbread.
Daly said Daelmans stroopwafels are often also merchandized at self-serve coffee stations in c-stores, where he claimed the brand regularly becomes the bestselling cookie in store and bolsters hot coffee sales.
Social media campaign to boost recognition
Brand Passport hopes to grow brand awareness in the US via high-visibility customers like United Airlines, Trader Joe's and Cost Plus World Markets.
It also plans a social media campaign with dedicated US Facebook and Twitter accounts to complement global Pinterest and Instagram accounts.
The US distributor hopes to grow listings for Daelmans stroopwafels in regional and national chains such as Target, Publix, Albertson's, Meijer, and 7-Eleven.
It already has distribution at some stores owned by these retailers as well as listings in Wawa, Harris Teeter and Trader Joe’s.
Who are Daelmans?
Daelmans Banket BV was established in 1909 and claims to be the leading stroopwafel baker in the world. It has 220 full-time staff and operates three plants in the Netherlands and one in the UK. Daelmans stroopwafels currently have distribution in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the Americas.