Table of Contents
Overview
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- What you need to know
- Products covered in this Report
Executive Summary
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- The market
- Market value grows
- Inflation expected to support value sales
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- Figure 1: UK retail sales of sweets and gum, by value, 2011-21
- Sweets grow despite sugar debate
- Gum struggles as value growth halts
- The sugar debate continues
- Population changes continue to pose a challenge
- End of EU sugar quotas expected to bring down prices
- Companies and brands
- Haribo retains lead, Mondelēz’ Maynards Bassetts masterbrand takes second position
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- Figure 2: Leading brands’ sales and shares in the UK sugar confectionery market, by value, 2015/16*
- Wrigley strengthens position despite falling sales
- Sweet launches up in 2015
- Leading players look to woo adults
- Minty NPD from several operators
- Advertising spend plateaus in 2015
- Brands focus on how their brands make users feel
- Haribo leads on fun, Maynards Bassetts stands on heritage
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- Figure 3: Attitudes towards and usage of selected brands, November 2016
- The consumer
- Sweets remain popular but are a rare treat for most
- Fruit pieces can build on naturalness cues, scope for liquid centre to inject excitement
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- Figure 4: Interest in sweets innovations, October 2016
- Promotions make sweets more permissible for many, opportunities for artificial sweeteners
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- Figure 5: Attitudes towards sweets, October 2016
- Chewing gum seen to help curb snacking, high interest in fortified gum
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- Figure 6: Gum users’ attitudes towards gum, October 2016
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- Promotions make sweets more permissible for many
- The facts
- The implications
- Artificial sweeteners and portion control can help meet sugar reduction target
- The facts
- The implications
- Scope for chewing gum to build role in helping to curb snacking
- The facts
- The implications
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Market value grows
- Inflation expected to support value sales
- Sweets post growth despite sugar debate
- Gum struggles as value growth halts
- The sugar debate continues
- Population changes continue to pose a challenge
- End of EU sugar quotas expected to bring down prices
Market Size and Forecast
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- Value growth slows
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- Figure 7: UK retail sales of sweets and gum, by value and volume, 2011-21
- Inflation expected to support value sales
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- Figure 8: UK retail sales of sweets and gum, by value, 2011-21
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- Figure 9: UK retail sales of sweets and gum, by volume, 2011-21
- Forecast methodology
- The impact of the EU referendum vote
- Trajectory of spend in previous slowdowns
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- Figure 10: Alternative scenarios for the sweets and gum market, at current prices, 2016-21
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- Figure 11: Detailed Post-Brexit scenarios for the sweets and gum market, at current prices, 2016-21
- Brexit vote has limited impact on consumers’ finances
- Savvy habits are already established
Market Segmentation
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- Sweets post growth despite sugar debate
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- Figure 12: UK retail sales of sweets, by value and volume, 2011-21
- Inflation to prop up value sales as volumes remain under pressure
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- Figure 13: UK retail sales of sweets, by value, 2011-21
- Figure 14: UK retail sales of sweets, by volume, 2011-21
- Gum struggles as value growth halts
- Gum market to remain challenging
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- Figure 15: UK retail sales of gum, by value and volume, 2011-21
- Figure 16: UK retail sales of sweets, by value, 2011-21
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- Figure 17: UK retail sales of sweets, by volume, 2011-21
Market Drivers
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- The sugar debate continues
- The Childhood Obesity Strategy throws down the gauntlet to industry
- Sugar continues to be highlighted as a culprit in tooth decay
- Tooth decay among under-5s declines, but extractions among children high
- Opportunities for gum and sugar alternatives
- Population changes continue to pose a challenge
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- Figure 18: Trends in the age structure of the UK population, 2011-16 and 2016-21
- End of EU sugar quotas expected to bring down prices
Companies and Brands – What You Need to Know
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- Haribo retains lead, Mondelēz’ Maynards Bassetts masterbrand takes second position
- Wrigley strengthens position despite falling sales
- Sweet launches up in 2015
- Leading players look to woo adults
- Minty NPD from several operators
- Advertising spend plateaus in 2015
- Haribo ups spend, launches four new ‘Inner Child’ ads
- Haribo leads on fun, Maynards Bassetts stands on long-standing
Market Share
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- Haribo retains lead
- Rowntree’s sees falling values on flat volumes
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- Figure 19: Leading brands’ sales and shares in the UK sugar confectionery market, by value and volume, 2014/15 and 2015/16
- Mondelēz creates sweets heavyweight with Maynards Bassetts masterbrand
- Swizzels sees double-digit growth
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- Figure 20: Leading manufacturers’ sales and shares in the UK sugar confectionery market, by value and volume, 2014/15 and 2015/16
- Wrigley strengthens position despite falling sales
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- Figure 21: Leading brands’ sales and shares in the UK gum market, by value and volume, 2014/15 and 2015/16
- Figure 22: Leading manufacturers’ sales and shares in the UK gum market, by value and volume, 2014/15 and 2015/16
Launch Activity and Innovation
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- Sweet launches up in 2015
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- Figure 23: Share of new product launches in the UK sugar confectionery market, by brand and private label, 2012-16
- M&S and Haribo get in the carnival spirit
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- Figure 24: Share of new product launches in the UK sugar confectionery market, by company (sorted by 2015), 2012-16
- Leading players look to woo adults
- Mondelēz creates Maynards Bassetts masterbrand, launches Juicy Chews
- Rowntree’s introduces Fruit Pastilles Infusions
- Smaller operators introduce wine-infused sweets
- Swizzels launches Parma Violets cheese
- 3D printing raises the bar for personalisation
- Minty NPD from several operators
- New flavours from Tic Tac…
- …and Trebor
- Packaging update for Polo
- Wrigley revamps Doublemint and takes it into mints
Advertising and Marketing Activity
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- Advertising spend plateaus in 2015
- Spend on gums falls, sweets are level
- Mint and medicated spend leaps ahead
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- Figure 25: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on sugar and gum confectionery, by category, 2012-16
- Wrigley retains lead in adspend despite cuts
- Wrigley looks to confidence to boost Extra
- Charitable efforts link Extra to oral health and tidiness
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- Figure 26: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on sugar and gum confectionery, by top eight companies (sorted by 2015), 2012-16
- Haribo ups spend, launches four new ‘Inner Child’ ads
- Mondelēz and Nestlé launch masterbrand campaigns
- Nestlé focuses on Rowntree’s sweets as uplifting
- Lifestyle journal launched by Peppersmith
- Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
Brand Research
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- What you need to know
- Brand map
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- Figure 27: Attitudes towards and usage of selected brands, November 2016
- Key brand metrics
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- Figure 28: Key metrics for selected brands, November 2016
- Brand attitudes: Rowntree’s leads on trust and quality
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- Figure 29: Attitudes, by brand, November 2016
- Brand personality: Haribo is top for vibrancy and engagement
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- Figure 30: Brand personality – Macro image, November 2016
- Maynards stands out as traditional and authentic
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- Figure 31: Brand personality – Micro image, November 2016
- Brand analysis
- Haribo’s fun and vibrant image hits the spot in sweets
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- Figure 32: User profile of Haribo, November 2016
- High trust and quality image fails to secure usage for Rowntree’s
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- Figure 33: User profile of Rowntree’s, November 2016
- Wrigley’s Extra stands out on health, but association only held by minority
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- Figure 34: User profile of Wrigley’s Extra, November 2016
- New Maynards Bassetts masterbrand leads as traditional
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- Figure 35: User profile of Maynards Bassetts, November 2016
- Tic Tac enjoys high awareness but current usage is low
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- Figure 36: User profile of Tic Tac, November 2016
- Trebor lacks strong associations – In both positive and negative
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- Figure 37: User profile of Trebor, November 2016
- Swizzels Love Hearts enjoy strong awareness but face a weak image
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- Figure 38: User profile of Swizzels Love Hearts, November 2016
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Sweets remain popular but are a rare treat for most
- Only 28% of people use gum
- Fruit pieces can build on naturalness cues
- Liquid centre can inject excitement to sweets
- Promotions make sweets more permissible for many
- Sugar alternatives enjoy a better-for-you image, opportunities for artificial sweeteners
- Chewing gum is viewed as helping to curb snacking
- High interest in fortified gum
Usage of Sweets and Gum
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- Sweets remain popular although repertoires narrow
- Mints remain top sweets
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- Figure 39: Usage of sweets and gum, 2014-16
- 61% eat sweets weekly
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- Figure 40: Frequency of usage of sweets and gum, October 2016
- Gum usage continues to fall
Interest in Sweet Innovation
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- Fruit pieces can build on naturalness cues
- Vegetables and coconut also offer potential to boost health credentials
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- Figure 41: Interest in sweets innovations, October 2016
- Liquid centre can inject excitement to sweets
- Sweet and salty flavours appeal to one in three female under-25s
Attitudes towards Sweets
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- Promotions make sweets more permissible for many
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- Figure 42: Attitudes towards sweets, October 2016
- Many view sweets as a permissible everyday treat
- Sugar alternatives enjoy a better-for-you image
- Many parents are open to artificial sweeteners
- Low-sugar NPD remains rare in UK sweets market
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- Figure 43: Agreement with the statement “Sweets made with artificial sweeteners are suitable for kids”, by the age of children in the household, October 2016
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- Figure 44: Agreement with the statement “Sweets made with artificial sweeteners are suitable for kids”, by mothers and fathers of under-16s, October 2016
Attitudes towards Gum
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- Chewing gum is viewed as helping to curb snacking
- Flavour NPD can bolster indulgent image
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- Figure 45: Gum users’ attitudes towards gum, October 2016
- High interest in fortified gum
- Functional positioning beyond oral health explored in the UK and internationally
- Energy-boosting gum appeals to younger people
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- Figure 46: Non-users’ attitudes towards gum, October 2016
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
Appendix – Market Size and Forecast
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- Forecast Methodology
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- Figure 47: Total UK retail value sales of sweets and gum, best- and worst-case forecast, 2016-21
- Figure 48: Total UK retail volume sales of sweets and gum, best- and worst-case forecast, 2016-21
- Figure 49: Total UK retail value sales of sweets, best- and worst-case forecast, 2016-21
- Figure 50: Total UK retail volume sales of sweets, best- and worst-case forecast, 2016-21
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- Figure 51: Total UK retail value sales of gum, best- and worst-case forecast, 2016-21
- Figure 52: Total UK retail volume sales of gum, best- and worst-case forecast, 2016-21
Appendix – Launch Activity and Innovation
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- Figure 53: New product launches in the UK sugar confectionery market, by top 10 claims, 2012-16
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Appendix – The Consumer
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- Figure 54: Repertoire of usage of sweets and chewing gum, October 2015 and October 2016
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