Table of Contents
Scope and Themes
-
- What you need to know
- Definition
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
Executive Summary
-
- The bottom line
- Trends to watch
- Premium chocolate is growing in popularity for a number of reasons
- Food, drug, and mass merchandisers sell premium in four segments
- Top manufacturers through FDM are both European and American
- Sales through FDM account for about a third of total sales
- Almost all respondents eat chocolate in one form or another
- Price sensitivity exists in the realm of premium chocolate…
- …but more than two in five respondents eat premium chocolate…
- …purchased through myriad channels, for themselves and for others
- What respondents know and believe about premium chocolate
- Industry standards are critical to the products’ lasting success
- Expanding the gift-giving horizon
- Mintel expects the market to grow to $3.5 billion by 2011
Market Drivers
-
- Growing interest in chocolate flavors and intensity
-
- Figure 1: Type of premium chocolate preferred by respondent, January 2007
-
- Figure 2: Total U.S. retail sales of dark chocolate, at current and constant prices, 2003-06
-
- Figure 3: Flavor/kind of premium chocolate preferred by respondent, January 2007
-
- Figure 4: Interest in/experience with gourmet chocolates with unusual flavors, January 2007
- More chocolate, more channels
- Mainstream manufacturers move to premium
- Chocolate and health
- Price of sugar has an impact
Market Size and Trends
-
- Market size
-
- Figure 5: Total U.S. retail sales of premium chocolate, at current and constant prices, 2001-06
- Market trends
-
- Figure 6: New chocolate product releases, 2001-06
- Wider variety of flavors
-
- Figure 7: New product releases, by flavor, 2001-06
- Single origin, fair trade, organic
- Higher cacao content
- Functional/healthier chocolate
- Chocolate tastings
- Customizing/personalizing
Market Segmentation
-
- Introduction
-
- Figure 8: FDM sales of premium chocolate, segmented by type (FDM channels only), 2004 and 2006
- Premium seasonal chocolate
-
- Figure 9: FDM sales of premium seasonal chocolate, at current and constant prices, 2001-06
- Premium bars/boxes/bags equal to/more than 3.5 ounces
-
- Figure 10: FDM sales of premium chocolate bars/boxes/bags equal to/more than 3.5 ounces, at current and constant prices, 2001-06
- Premium gift box chocolates
-
- Figure 11: Sales of premium gift box chocolates, at current and constant prices, 2001-06
- Figure 12: Sales of premium gift box chocolates, at current and constant prices, 2002-06
- Premium bars less than 3.5 ounces
-
- Figure 13: FDM sales of premium chocolate bars less than 3.5 ounces, at current and constant prices, 2001-06
Supply Structure
-
- Companies and brands
-
- Figure 14: Manufacturer sales of premium chocolate in the U.S., 2004 and 2006
- Seasonal premium chocolate
-
- Figure 15: Manufacturer brand FDM sales of seasonal premium chocolate in the U.S., 2004 and 2006
- Premium bars/boxes/bags equal to/more than 3.5 ounces
-
- Figure 16: Manufacturer brand FDM sales of premium chocolate bars/boxes/bags equal to/more than 3.5 ounces in the U.S., 2004 and 2006
- Premium gift boxes
-
- Figure 17: Manufacturer brand FDM sales of premium chocolate gift boxes in the U.S., 2004 and 2006
- Premium bars less than 3.5 ounces
-
- Figure 18: Manufacturer brand FDM sales of premium chocolate bars less than 3.5 ounces in the U.S., 2004 and 2006
- Major manufacturers
- Russell Stover
- Lindt & Sprüngli
- Mars, Inc.
- Ferrero S.p.A.
- Nestlé S.A.
- Hershey Co.
Advertising and Promotion
-
- Russell Stover
-
- Figure 19: Russell Stover ad, 2006
- Lindt & Sprüngli
-
- Figure 20: Ghirardelli ad: Moments of Timeless Pleasure, 2006
-
- Figure 21: Lindt Lindor ad, 2006
- Hershey Co.
- Mars, Inc.
-
- Figure 22: Dove ad, 2006
Retail Distribution
-
- Introduction
-
- Figure 23: U.S. retail sales of premium chocolate by channel, 2004 and 2006
- Supermarkets
-
- Figure 24: U.S. supermarket sales of premium chocolate, at current and constant prices, 2001-06
- Figure 25: U.S. supermarket sales of premium chocolate, at current and constant prices, 2002-06
The Consumer
-
- Introduction
- Summary
- Chocolate consumption rates
-
- Figure 26: Frequency of chocolate consumption, January 2007
-
- Figure 27: Frequency of chocolate consumption, by age, January 2007
-
- Figure 28: Frequency of chocolate consumption, by race/Hispanic origin, January 2007
- Price chocolate eaters are willing to pay for premium chocolate
-
- Figure 29: Price per piece respondents would be willing to pay for premium chocolate, January 2007
-
- Figure 30: Price per piece respondents would be willing to pay for premium chocolate, by age, January 2007
-
- Figure 31: Price per piece respondents would be willing to pay for premium chocolate, by income, January 2007
- Premium chocolate users
-
- Figure 32: Consumption of premium chocolate, January 2007
- Price premium chocolate eaters are willing to pay for premium chocolate
-
- Figure 33: Price per piece premium chocolate eating respondents would be willing to pay for premium chocolate, January 2007
- Frequency of purchasing premium chocolate
-
- Figure 34: Frequency of chocolate consumption, by propensity to purchase premium chocolate, January 2007
- Venues in which premium chocolate is purchased
-
- Figure 35: Purchase venues for premium chocolate, January 2007
-
- Figure 36: Purchase venues for premium chocolate, by age, January 2007
-
- Figure 37: Purchase venues for premium chocolate, byhousehold income, January 2007
-
- Figure 38: Purchase venues for premium chocolate, by for whom premium chocolate is bought, January 2007
- Recipients of premium chocolate
-
- Figure 39: Recipients of premium chocolate, by gender, January 2007
-
- Figure 40: Recipients of premium chocolate, by age, January 2007
-
- Figure 41: Recipients of premium chocolate, by income, January 2007
- Dark chocolate and health
-
- Figure 42: Opinions about dark chocolate and health, by gender, January 2007
-
- Figure 43: Opinions about dark chocolate and health, by age, January 2007
- Opinions about storing premium chocolate
-
- Figure 44: Opinions about storing premium chocolate, by gender, January 2007
- Single origin chocolate
-
- Figure 45: Knowledge of single origin chocolate, January 2007
- Premium chocolate preferences: dark, milk, or other
-
- Figure 46: type of premium chocolate preferred by respondent, by gender, January 2007
-
- Figure 47: type of premium chocolate preferred by respondent, by age, January 2007
- Premium chocolate preferences: with or without additional ingredients
-
- Figure 48: Flavor/kind of premium chocolate preferred by respondent, by age, January 2007
- Exploring new premium chocolate opportunities
-
- Figure 49: Interest in new premium chocolate opportunities, January 2007
Future and Forecast
-
- Future trends
- Competition at different price points detracts from super-premium market
- A need for industry standards
- From chocolate to snacks and cookies: the “premium” effect
- Expanding the gift-giving horizon
- Cocoa and drinking chocolate may be the next big growth area
- Future focus on packaging to appeal to chocolate connoisseurs
- Market forecast
- Premium chocolate
-
- Figure 50: Forecast of total U.S. sales of premium chocolate, at current and constant prices, 2006-11
- Premium seasonal chocolate
-
- Figure 51: Forecast of U.S. FDM sales of premium seasonal chocolate, at current and constant prices, 2006-11
- Large premium chocolate bars, boxes, and bags
-
- Figure 52: Forecast of U.S. FDM sales of large premium chocolate bars, boxes, and bags, at current and constant prices, 2006-11
- Premium gift-box chocolates
-
- Figure 53: Forecast of U.S. FDM sales of premium gift-box chocolates, at current and constant prices, 2006-11
- Small premium chocolate bars
-
- Figure 54: Forecast of U.S. FDM sales of small premium chocolate bars, at current and constant prices, 2006-11
- Forecast factors
Appendix: Trade Associations
Appendix: New Product Briefs
-
- Mars: Dove Jewels
- Ghirardelli: Ghirardelli Dark Decadence Assortment
- Alpine Confections: Hallmark Premium Chocolates
- Chocolates By Imagination: Chocolates By Imagination “To Die For”
- The Hershey Company: Cacao Reserve by Hershey’s
- World’s Finest Chocolate: World’s Finest Chocolate Dark Deluxe
- Belfine: Belfine Chocolate
- Dynamic Chocolates: Botticelli Signature Chocolate
- Liberty Richter: Elizabeth Shaw Tequila Shots
- Neuhaus: Neuhaus Orange Extra Dark Chocolate
Back to top