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Chocolate Confectionery - China - June 2017

OVERVIEW
What you need to know
Covered in this Report
Figure 1: Definition of low/mid/high MHI groups, by city tier
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The market
A market yet to recover
Figure 2: Total China chocolate market retail value, 2012-22
Figure 3: Total China chocolate market retail volume, 2012-22
Tablet is the largest segment but decreasing
Figure 4: Segment percentage in the chocolate retail market, by value, 2016
Companies and brands
Mainstream brands losing out to premium brands
Figure 5: Retail market share of chocolate market in China, 2015-16
The consumer
Plain chocolate for self-use; assorted for gifting
Figure 6: Type of chocolates bought for self/family or gifting, March 2017
Imported products more often used for gifting
Figure 7: Chocolate purchase channels for self/family or gifting, March 2017
Mood enhancement is the primary purpose
Figure 8: Chocolate purchase purposes in the last six months, self-use-related, March 2017
Chocolate could be healthy
Figure 9: General attitudes towards chocolate, March 2017
Individually-wrapped more popular than chocolate blocks
Figure 10: General attitudes towards chocolate, March 2017
Healthy comes before premium
Figure 11: Favourable changes in the chocolate category, product-related, March 2017
Most consumers would not change their usage
Figure 12: Self-evaluated change of chocolate consumption in the next 12 months, March 2017
Mintropolitans are eating more and will keep up the consumption
Figure 13: Type of chocolates bought for self/family, by consumer classification, March 2017
Figure 14: Self-evaluated change of chocolate consumption in the next 12 months, by consumer classification, March 2017
What we think
ISSUES AND INSIGHTS
Chocolate snackification to increase consumption
The facts
The implications
Figure 15: Product example of chocolate coated snack nuts, South Africa, Hong Kong, and Canada
Figure 16: Product example of chocolate coated dried fruits, UK, US, and Germany
Figure 17: Product example of chocolate thin products, South Korea, Singapore, and Germany
Position cocoa beans in a similar way as coffee beans
The facts
The implications
Figure 18: G from Godiva
Figure 19: Meiji’s The chocolate bar and Nestlé’s Les Retables de l'Atelier
Personalisation makes chocolate a better gift
The facts
The implications
THE MARKET – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Decrease slows down
Innovation slowed down between 2015 and 2016
Decreasing cocoa bean price
MARKET SIZE AND FORECAST
Decrease slows down
Figure 20: Retail market size of chocolate in China, 2012-17 (est)
Figure 21: Total China chocolate market retail value, 2012-22
Figure 22: Total China chocolate market retail volume, 2012-22
MARKET FACTORS
Innovation slowed down between 2015 and 2016
Figure 23: Percentage of China’s chocolate product in global chocolate market
Figure 24: Launch type of chocolate products, China 2014-17 (till April)
Decreasing cocoa bean price
Product premiumisation
Figure 25: Average price of chocolate product launched in China, 2013-17
Rising awareness of childhood obesity
Figure 26: Product example of children-targeting chocolate products, US and Germany 2015-16
MARKET SEGMENTATION 
Tablet is the largest segment but decreasing
Figure 27: Segment percentage in the chocolate retail market, by value, 2016
Figure 28: Market retail value of tablet chocolate in China, 2012-22
Figure 29: Market retail value of individually wrapped chocolate in China, 2012-22
Non-individually wrapped chocolate pieces are more promising
Figure 30: Market retail value of non-individually wrapped chocolate in China, 2012-22
KEY PLAYERS – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Mainstream brands losing to premium brands
Mondelez introduced Milka to China
Room for more ethical claims and flavour expansions
MARKET SHARE
Mars and Hershey were losing
Figure 31: Retail market share of chocolate market in China, 2015-16
Premium brands winning
Threat from e-commerce
COMPETITIVE STRATEGIES
Mondelez introduced Milka to China
Figure 32: Product example of Milka’s chocolate products, Germany, Italy, and France 2015-16
International players localised production in China
Clean label commitment from the major players
Hollygee took over Jin Di chocolate
WHO’S INNOVATING?
Rise of products featuring social media, seasonal and child-targeting claims
Figure 33: Product example of Kinder’s chocolate egg, China 2016
Figure 34: Top 10 chocolate product claims, China 2014-17 (April)
Room for more ethical claims
Scope to diversify the flavours
Figure 35: Top 10 chocolate flavours, China 2014-17 (April)
Figure 36: Mars’ white chocolate product line, China 2016
Chocolate with health benefits
Figure 37: Product example of chocolate with health benefits
THE CONSUMER – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Most consumers would not change their future usage
Chocolate could be healthy
Mood enhancement is the primary purpose
Mintropolitans shop more online
CHOCOLATE USAGE
More for self-use than for gifting
Figure 38: Usage of chocolate, March 2017
Plain for self-use
Figure 39: Type of chocolates bought for self/family or gifting, March 2017
Figure 40: Type of chocolates bought for self/family, by region, March 2017
Males are the target
Figure 41: Type of chocolates bought for self/family or gifting, by gender, March 2017
Purchase channels
Buy self-use chocolate at supermarkets
Figure 42: Chocolate purchase channels for self/family or gifting, March 2017
Imported products more often used for gifting
Unconsciously consuming less
Figure 43: Chocolate purchase channels for self/family, January 2015 and March 2017
Figure 44: Chocolate purchase channels for gifting, January 2015 and March 2017
PURCHASE PURPOSE
Mood enhancement is the primary purpose
Figure 45: Chocolate purchase purposes in the last six months, self-use-related, March 2017
More commonly used as a gift in China
Figure 46: Chocolate purchase purposes in the last six months, gifting-related, March 2017
Individually-wrapped for gifting; block for self-use
Figure 47: Chocolate purchase purposes in the last six months, gifting-related, March 2017
GENERAL ATTITUDES
Chocolate could be healthy
Figure 48: General attitudes towards chocolate, March 2017
Figure 49: General attitudes towards chocolate, March 2017
VFM chocolate is more mainstream than premium chocolate
Figure 50: General attitudes towards chocolate, March 2017
Figure 51: General attitudes towards chocolate, March 2017
Familiar flavours outperform seasonal-limited flavours
Figure 52: General attitudes towards chocolate, March 2017
Individually-wrapped more popular than chocolate blocks
Figure 53: General attitudes towards chocolate, March 2017
Commonly read the labels
Figure 54: General attitudes towards chocolate, March 2017
FAVOURABLE CHANGES
Healthy comes before premium
Figure 55: Favourable changes in the chocolate category, product-related, March 2017
Figure 56: Product example of chocolate with healthy inclusions, US and Austria 2016
Room to improve the convenience of eating
Figure 57: Favourable changes in the chocolate category, package-related, March 2017
Figure 58: Percentage of chocolate products in a flexible stand-up pouch, global 2014-17 (till April)
FUTURE CONSUMPTION
Most consumers would not change their usage
Figure 59: Self-evaluated change of chocolate consumption in the next 12 months, March 2017
Sugar and fat does not really stop people from eating
Figure 60: Favourable changes in the chocolate category, by consumer classification of their future usage, March 2017
MEET THE MINTROPOLITANS
Already eating more and will keep up the consumption
Figure 61: Type of chocolates bought for self/family, by consumer classification, March 2017
Figure 62: Self-evaluated change of chocolate consumption in the next 12 months, by consumer classification, March 2017
Wider usage occasions and more careful with their purchase
Figure 63: Chocolate purchase purposes in the last six months, by consumer classification, March 2017
Interested in delicate packaging and wider range of flavours and inclusions
Figure 64: Favourable changes in the chocolate category, by consumer classification, March 2017
APPENDIX – MARKET SIZE AND FORECAST
Figure 65: China chocolate market value and volume, 2012-22
Figure 66: China chocolate market value, by segment 2012-22
APPENDIX – METHODOLOGY AND ABBREVIATIONS
Methodology
Fan chart forecast
Abbreviations

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