Seasonal offerings tops chocolate new product development
As chocolate lovers recover from the Easter treats, new research from Mintel reveals that seasonal launches accounted for 25% of global chocolate new product launches in 2016.
As chocolate lovers recover from the Easter treats, new research from Mintel reveals that seasonal launches accounted for 25% of global chocolate new product launches in 2016. This is the biggest area of chocolate new product development (NPD), according to Mintel Global New Products Database (GNPD). In 2016, some 28% of seasonal launches globally were positioned for Easter, highlighting the ongoing popularity of eggs, bunnies, and other chocolate treats.
Those countries accounting for the most Easter chocolate innovation include Brazil, which accounted for 14% of global Easter chocolate product launches, France with an 11% share, and South Africa with a 10% share. Last year, the British spent £374 million on Easter confectionery, and research shows that confectionery continues to drive Easter purchases in the United Kingdom with 49% of Easter shoppers buying chocolate gifts in 2016.
When it comes to chocolate spend per head, the United Kingdom is top of the leaderboard, with the average Brit indulging in 8.61 kg of chocolate (per capita) in 2016. This was followed by Switzerland with 8.59 kg (per capita), Germany with 8.32 kg (per capita), Russia with 6.57 kg (per capita), and Austria at 5.37 kg (per capita).
In recent years, the chocolate confectionery market has continued to see growth, though at a very slow rate, and in some established markets volume sales declined between 2015 and 2016. In the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and France, sales were flat over the two-year period, while sales fell in Russia (-2%), Brazil (-6%), and China (-6%). The only markets among the top 10 globally to see any growth were Poland (+2%) and India, which saw an impressive 13% growth increase between 2015 and 2016.
“Chocolate confectionery had an uneven year in 2016,” said Marcia Mogelonsky, director of insight, Mintel Food and Drink. “Volume sales in developed markets remained flat, while the picture was a bit brighter in emerging markets where sales generally fared better. Our research reveals that changes in per capita consumption points to an important shift in consumers’ eating habits, as consumption of chocolate confectionery is flat or declining in the top five markets.