Bep Dhaliwal, Trade Communications Manager, Mars Chocolate takes a look at the Confectionery Category.
Chocolate Confectionery Category Over the past year, the total Confectionery category has continued to show its strength, with the overall market seeing an increase in value sales of 1.1%1 year-on-year.
Contributing to this growth is the rise of the total Chocolate market, which has enjoyed an increase in growth of 1.7%2 yearon- year.
With five out of the top 10 chocolate brands coming from Mars Chocolate, Mars continues to stand out as a leading brand helping to drive market growth.
But it’s not just brands driving growth. A rise in consumption trends like sharing, which has seen consumers favour Treat Bags and Pouches, as well as boxed chocolates, has also contributed to category sales – with increases in sales of 6.3% and 2.3% respectively3.
Mars Chocolate UK has four of the top five bitesize lines4, including MALTESERS®, which is proud to be the UK’s #1 Bitesize brand5.
New Product Development
New Product Development is a huge area of development for Mars Chocolate UK and the last year has seen strong product innovation from the brand as it makes strides in this area.
GALAXY® Large Block
Following strong performances from the range of GALAXY® Duet singles, Mars Chocolate UK recently extended its GALAXY® Duet™ range to offer its popular Cookies & Cream, Caramel & Shortcake, and Toffee & Popcorn variants in a new large block format. Bringing a unique consumption experience to the chocolate block category, the new GALAXY® Duet™ large blocks will feature two indulgent flavours that consumers can enjoy separately or combined to create a unique taste sensation, but in a format which is perfect for sharing.
The launch of GALAXY® Duet™ in a large block format capitalises on the strong performance of the chocolate block category. Large block NPD accounted for 70% of NPD value sales in 20156.
GALAXY® Crispy
Mars Chocolate also recently launched a brand new addition to the GALAXY® portfolio – GALAXY® Crispy. GALAXY® Crispy is jumping on one of the biggest food trends of 2016, combining deliciously silky smooth GALAXY® chocolate wrapped around lightly crispy cereal pieces. Available in store now at RRP £1.39, the new product is the latest to be introduced to the Block Chocolate category.
Following in the footsteps of GALAXY® Salted Caramel, the hugely popular taste sensation which delivered £5.4m7 into the Block Chocolate category last year, GALAXY® Crispy brings another unique proposition to the market, guaranteed to attract a new wave of potential consumers.
GALAXY® is the nation’s second largest chocolate brand8, with a value of £218m, and over the course of 2015 it was the UK’s most advertised chocolate brand9 with an investment of £18million supporting the launches of NPD including GALAXY® Duet™, GALAXY® Salted Caramel and GALAXY® Crispy.
Sweet Sundays
Mars Chocolate UK has recently brought back its Sweet Sundays® promotion for the fifth year running. The popular initiative which offers consumers the chance to get their hands on free cinema tickets on a Sunday, has returned for what will be its biggest ever year.
Sweet Sundays® capitalises on the popularity of cinema – the number one out of home activity in the UK – by capturing consumer attention with a bold new pack design which will feature across a number of Mars Chocolate’s best-selling bitesize products. This includes, MALTESERS®, GALAXY MINSTRELS®, GALAXY COUNTERS®, M&M’s® Peanut, M&M’s® Chocolate, M&M’s® Crispy, REVELS®, and MILKY WAY MAGIC STARS®.
PMPs
PMPs reassure shoppers they are getting the best value for money, and provide the perfect chocolate treat for night in with friends and family.
They’re also a great way for retailers to grow sales in store and attract the attention of customers.
Mars Chocolate’s range of popular PMPs includes its £1 Treat Bags, with MALTESERS®, GALAXY® MINSTRELS® and M&M’S® all available at a set price, as well as the large GALAXY® £1 block lines, all of which has seen impressive growth in recent months.
As the trend for staying in continues, more than ever before consumers are actively seeking out brands they know and love that also offer good value for money.
GALAXY® Milk Chocolate is a prime example of this in action – it is currently the nation’s second favourite brand in the large block category, valued at over £200m, and is available as a £1 PMP all year round.
Earlier this year, Mars Chocolate UK extended its popular PMP range to drive more sales in store. MARS®, SNICKERS®, TWIX®, BOUNTY® and MALTESERS® singles are now permanently available in Price Marked Packs with a new RRP of 50p.
This move sees Mars Chocolate continue to grow its PMP offering as fixed price promotions continue to drive sales in store, particularly when placed next to standard non-PMPs.
Wholesaler Top Tips
• Bookend the fixture – Ensure popular lines are at both ends of the fixture to drive retailers down the aisle, using seasonal POS to create theatre
• Keep similar products and brands together – Making it easier for the retailer to shop as it is similar to how they might build their fixture in-store
• Allocate space according to sales – This helps to reduce stock holding on slower selling lines
• Put bestsellers on the lowest shelf – Making it easier for pallets to be replenished and avoiding ‘off sale’ issues
1 NEILSEN, AYR ACCOUNT BAROMETER, TOTAL COVERAGE, VALUE SALES MAT W/E 7/5/16
2 NEILSEN, AYR ACCOUNT BAROMETER, TOTAL COVERAGE, VALUE SALES MAT W/E 7/5/16
3 IMPULSE REPORT MAT TY WE 26.03.16
4 NIELSEN W/E 21 FEB 2015
5 IMPULSE REPORT TOTAL INDEPENDENTS P3 2016
6 Nielsen sales AYR MAT 30 Jan 2016
7 Value sales (£M) and % Chg| MAT TY| WE 20.02.16
8 Nielsen Scantrack 53 w/e to 02.01.16
9MMR Research Worldwide
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