Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The market
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- Figure 1: Value sales and forecast in the UK chocolate market, 2009-19
- Market factors
- Increased media coverage on sugar sees some users limit chocolate intake
- 250kCal cap on confectionery adopted by FDF members
- Consumers see a role for treats
- Ageing population poses a challenge to confectionery
- Companies, brands and innovation
- Brands see mixed fortunes in the highly competitive market
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- Figure 2: Leading brands’ sales in the UK retail chocolate confectionery market, by value, 2014/15*
- Low-sugar claims growing but niche in NPD
- Adspend continues to fall
- The consumer
- Nine in 10 people eat chocolate
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- Figure 3: Frequency of eating chocolate, February 2015
- Despite media focus on sugar, few have cut back on chocolate
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- Figure 4: Attitudes towards chocolate confectionery, February 2015
- Brand extensions offer growth potential in chocolate
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- Figure 5: Usage and interest in different types of chocolate products, February 2015
- Chocolate remains an impulse purchase for many
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- Figure 6: Attitudes towards buying chocolate, February 2015
- What we think
Issues in the Market
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- Sugar cuts and portion control can help chocolate combat health concerns
- The facts
- The implications
- Premiumisation holds potential for mass-market brands
- The facts
- The implications
- Point of sale holds much sway in chocolate choices
- The facts
- The implications
Trend Application
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- Moral Brands
- Sense of the Intense
- Locavore
Market Drivers
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- Key points
- Increased media coverage on sugar sees users limit chocolate intake
- 250kCal cap on confectionery adopted by FDF members
- Consumers see a role for treats
- Ageing of the population poses a challenge to the market
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- Figure 7: Trends in the age structure of the UK population, 2009-14 and 2014-19
Strengths and Weaknesses
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- Strengths
- Weaknesses
Who’s Innovating?
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- Key points
- Branded players fight back against own-label on the NPD front
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- Figure 8: Share of new chocolate confectionery products, private label vs. branded, 2008-14
- Lidl’s level of NPD puts it on a par with confectionery giant Nestlé
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- Figure 9: Share of new launches within the UK chocolate confectionery market, by company (top 10), 2012-14
- Smaller formats attract attention from brands in 2014
- Limited editions continue to provide scope for NPD
- Operators look to new formats to expand their audience
- Low-sugar NPD is growing, but niche
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- Figure 10: L/N/R sugar innovation as a share of all new chocolate launches, by country, 2012-14
- Selected low-sugar launches in 2014
- Drop in ‘true’ innovation partly accountable for sales slump
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- Figure 11: Share of new chocolate launches in the UK, by launch type, 2012-14
- Selected flavour innovation
- Ethical/environmental claims still lag significantly behind coffee and tea
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- Figure 12: Share of new coffee/tea/chocolate launches in the UK carrying an ethical/environmental claim, 2012-14
- Beyond fair trade: the next wave of ethical/environmental claims for chocolate
Market Size and Forecast
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- Key points
- Volatile performance continues in chocolate
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- Figure 13: UK value and volume retail sales of chocolate, 2009-19
- Figure 14: Value sales and forecast in the UK chocolate market, 2009-19
- Figure 15: Volume sales and forecast in the UK chocolate market, 2009-19
- Methodology
Market Share
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- Key points
- Many leading players feel the troubles of chocolate confectionery
- Dairy Milk retains top position
- Ferrero ramps up NPD and advertising to drive Kinder forward
- M&M’s enjoys volume growth of 22%
- Mars loses ground following cut to size of bar and adspend
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- Figure 16: Leading brands’ sales in the UK retail chocolate confectionery market, by value, 2013/14 and 2014/15
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- Figure 17: Leading brands’ sales in the UK retail chocolate confectionery market, by volume, 2013/14 and 2014/15
- Confectionery assortments post mixed performances
- Ferrero’s adspend hike drives growth, price cuts support Terry’s
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- Figure 18: Leading brands’ sales in the UK retail chocolate assortments market, by value, 2013/14 and 2014/15
- Figure 19: Leading brands’ sales in the UK Retail chocolate assortments market, by volume, 2013/14 and 2014/15
Companies and Products
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- Ferrero
- Product range
- Product Innovation and promotion
- Mars
- Product range
- Product innovation and promotion
- Mondelēz International
- Product range
- Product Innovation and promotion
- Nestlé
- Product innovation and promotion
- Lindt
- Recent activity
Brand Communication and Promotion
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- Key points
- Above-the-line advertising spend drops by 6 percentage points in 2014
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- Figure 20: Above-the-line advertising spend on chocolate confectionery, 2011-14
- Aldi surpasses Nestlé to become the fourth highest-spending advertiser in 2014
- Nestlé cuts back on chocolate advertising
- Mars shrinks advertising spend
- Mondelēz’ spend falls as it reduces support for Marvellous Creations
- Ferrero steps up adspend on its brands
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- Figure 21: Above-the-line advertising spend on chocolate confectionery, by company, 2011-14
- Figure 22: Above-the-line advertising spend on chocolate confectionery, by brand, 2011-14
Brand Research – Chocolate Confectionery
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- What you need to know
- Brand map
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- Figure 23: Attitudes towards and usage of selected brands, February 2015
- Key brand metrics
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- Figure 24: Key metrics for selected brands, February 2015
- Brand attitudes: Thorntons has strongest premium brand image
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- Figure 25: Attitudes, by brand, February 2015
- Brand personality: Most brands associated with accessibility
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- Figure 26: Brand personality – Macro image, February 2015
- Green & Black’s fair trade proposition promotes other positive associations
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- Figure 27: Brand personality – Micro image, February 2015
- Brand analysis
- Maltesers is likely to maintain high user base
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- Figure 28: User profile of Maltesers, February 2015
- Cadbury Dairy Milk uses whole product range to entice consumers
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- Figure 29: User profile of Cadbury Dairy Milk, February 2015
- Galaxy promotes accessible luxury
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- Figure 30: User profile of Galaxy, February 2015
- Green & Black’s has a strong point of difference
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- Figure 31: User profile of Green & Black’s, February 2015
- Thorntons is seen as special and indulgent
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- Figure 32: User profile of Thorntons, February 2015
- Twirl struggles to stand out from the crowd
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- Figure 33: User profile of Twirl, February 2015
- Mars has high usage but is most likely to be seen as unhealthy
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- Figure 34: User profile of Mars, February 2015
- Wispa and Twirl have a similar brand image
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- Figure 35: User profile of Wispa, February 2015
Social Media – Chocolate Brands
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- What you need to know
- Social media metrics
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- Figure 36: Social media metrics of selected brands, March 2015
- Online mentions: Thorntons dominates conversation due to occasion-based mentions
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- Figure 37: Online mentions of selected brands, 2 March 2014-28 February 2015
- Topics of discussion: Consumption and taste take precedence over brand-based topics
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- Figure 38: Topics of discussion around selected brands, 2 March 2014-28 February 2015
- Analysis by brand
- Thorntons hits the headlines but also uses Twitter to its advantage
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- Figure 39: Topic cloud around mentions of Thorntons, 2 March 2014-28 February 2015
- Maltesers’ sharing format may help promote conversation
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- Figure 40: Topic cloud around mentions of Maltesers, 2 March 2014-28 February 2015
- Mars comes into spotlight around Scotland referendum and World Cup
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- Figure 41: Topic cloud around mentions of Mars, 2 March 2014-28 February 2015
- Cadbury Dairy Milk brings different products under one account
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- Figure 42: Topic cloud around mentions of Cadbury Dairy Milk, 2 March 2014-28 February 2015
- Galaxy’s advertising lacks same online impact as in 2013
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- Figure 43: Topic cloud around mentions of Galaxy, 2 March 2014-28 February 2015
- Green & Black’s also uses Twitter competitions to its advantage
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- Figure 44: Topic cloud around mentions of Green & Black’s, 2 March 2014-28 February 2015
- Wispa and Twirl lack online conversation
The Consumer – Usage
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- Key points
- Despite concerns around sugar/calorie content, nine in 10 still eat chocolate
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- Figure 45: Frequency of eating chocolate, February 2015
- Younger consumers and those in households with children are among the highest users
- Not all formats achieve the same penetration
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- Figure 46: Types of chocolate confectionery eaten in the last three months, February 2015
The Consumer – Attitudes towards Chocolate Confectionery
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- Key points
- Despite concerns over sugar, only three in 10 have cut back because of it
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- Figure 47: Attitudes towards chocolate confectionery, February 2015
- For many, low sugar means inferior taste, presenting a challenge for the market
- Brands should take control of the debate around smaller pack sizes
The Consumer – Interest in Types of Chocolate Products
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- Key points
- The UK lacks premium chocolate spreads, unlike elsewhere in Europe
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- Figure 48: Usage and interest in different types of chocolate products, February 2015
- High-protein snacks in the style of their favourite chocolate interest 56%
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- Figure 49: New products launched in the UK food market carrying high-protein claims, by category, January 2013-April 2015
- Protein-boosting ingredients offer a route into protein chocolate
- Cobranding opportunities for protein chocolate
- Like coffee, chocolate can explore single origin beyond country
The Consumer – Chocolate Purchasing Behaviours
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- Key points
- Discounters gain ground, but supermarkets still dominate chocolate purchases
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- Figure 50: Channels used to buy chocolate, February 2015
- Specialists stores remain the preserve of high earners
- Four in 10 decide what to buy when looking at the products in-store
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- Figure 51: Attitudes towards buying chocolate, February 2015
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- Figure 52: Share of new chocolate confectionery launches in the UK, by launch type, 2014
- Chilled chocolates offer a way to compete in the dessert aisle
Appendix – Market Size and Forecast
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- Figure 53: UK value and volume retail sales of chocolate confectionery, 2009-19
- Figure 54: UK value and volume retail sales of chocolate assortments, 2009-19
- Figure 55: Value sales and forecast in the UK chocolate confectionery market, 2009-19
- Figure 56: Volume sales and forecast in the UK chocolate confectionery market, 2009-19
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- Figure 57: Value sales and forecast in the UK chocolate confectionery assortments market, 2009-19
- Figure 58: Volume sales and forecast in the UK chocolate confectionery assortments market, 2009-19
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Appendix – Market Share
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- Figure 59: Leading manufacturers’ sales in the UK retail chocolate confectionery market, by value, 2013/14 and 2014/15
- Figure 60: Leading manufacturers’ sales in the UK retail chocolate confectionery market, by volume, 2013/14 and 2014/15
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- Figure 61: Leading manufacturers’ sales in the UK retail chocolate assortments market, by value, 2013/14 and 2014/15*
- Figure 62: Leading manufacturers’ sales in the UK chocolate assortments market, by volume, 2013/14 and 2014/15
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Appendix – Brand Communication and Promotion
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- Figure 63: Share of adspend in chocolate confectionery, by format, 2011-14
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