Table of Contents
Executive Summary
-
- Resilience of market shows strong appeal of chocolate
-
- Figure 1: Best- and worst-case forecast of total UK retail value sales of chocolate, 2010-20
- Concerns about sugar only having limited impact on chocolate
- Ageing population unlikely to benefit chocolate sales
- Big lead for Cadbury Dairy Milk in chocolate confectionery
-
- Figure 2: Leading brands in the chocolate confectionery market, % share by value, 2014/15*
- Dairy Milk stands outs as most trusted chocolate brand
- Branded products dominate launch activity in chocolate
- Chocolate has enduring appeal as an affordable treat
- Increase in proportion of people eating blocks of chocolate
- Self-treating the biggest reason for buying chocolate
-
- Figure 3: Reasons for buying chocolate confectionery, February 2016
- Strong incentive for brands to tap into gifting market
-
- Figure 4: Factors that would encourage people to pay more for chocolate when buying it either for themselves or as a gift, February 2016
- Impulse buying a key feature of purchasing behaviour
-
- Figure 5: Shopping behaviour when buying chocolate, February 2016
- Eating chocolate daily seen as OK as part of a balanced diet
-
- Figure 6: Attitudes towards chocolate confectionery, February 2016
- What we think
Issues and Insights
-
- Opportunities presented by different reasons for purchasing
- Facts
- Implications
- Ways of encouraging trading up to compensate for stagnating volumes
- Facts
- Implications
- Risk posed to sales by war on sugar and portion control
- Facts
- Implications
The Market – What You Need to Know
-
- Growth in value sales but flat volumes
- NPD and marketing activity helps sales
- Decline in growth for chocolate assortments
- War on sugar having limited impact on chocolate so far
- Growth in number of over-55s who eat chocolate less frequently
Market Size and Forecast
-
- Value growth for chocolate despite war on sugar
-
- Figure 7: Total UK retail volume and value sales of chocolate*, 2010-20
- Premium launches important for future growth
-
- Figure 8: Best- and worst-case forecast of total UK retail value sales of chocolate*, 2010-20
-
- Figure 9: Best- and worst-case forecast of UK retail volume sales of chocolate*, 2010-20
Segment Performance
-
- Innovation helps boost chocolate confectionery sales
-
- Figure 10: Total UK retail volume and value sales of chocolate confectionery, 2010-20
- Figure 11: Best- and worst-case forecast of total UK retail value sales of chocolate confectionery, 2010-20
-
- Figure 12: Best- and worst-case forecast of UK retail volume sales of chocolate confectionery, 2010-20
- Slowed growth for chocolate assortments
-
- Figure 13: Total UK retail volume and value sales of chocolate assortments, 2010-20
- Figure 14: Best- and worst-case forecast of total UK retail value sales of chocolate assortments, 2010-20
-
- Figure 15: Best- and worst-case forecast of UK retail volume sales of chocolate assortments, 2010-20
Market Drivers
-
- Media coverage and new initiatives focus on reducing sugar intake
- Low sugar seen as most important element of healthy food
-
- Figure 16: Factors deemed important when looking for healthy food, November 2015
- Chocolate one of a number of permissible treats
-
- Figure 17: Snacks eaten between meals, December 2015
- An ageing population unlikely to benefit chocolate sales
-
- Figure 18: Trends in the age structure of the UK population, 2010-20
Key Players – What You Need to Know
-
- Cadbury Dairy Milk leads in chocolate confectionery
- Leading companies drive big increase in 2015 advertising
- New launches receive strong advertising support
- Dairy Milk the most trusted chocolate brand
- Lindt Lindor has strong association with indulgence
- Branded products dominate NPD activity in chocolate
- Cadbury Dairy Milk a big focus of new launches by Mondelēz
- Galaxy focuses on new flavour combinations
- Ethical claims important in chocolate confectionery
Market Share
-
- Dairy Milk maintains strong lead in chocolate confectionery
-
- Figure 19: Leading brands in the chocolate confectionery market, by value and volume, 2013/14 and 2014/15
- Celebrations and Lindt see big increases in sales in assortments
-
- Figure 20: Leading brands in the chocolate assortments market, by value and volume, 2013/14 and 2014/15
Brand Communication and Promotion
-
- Big increase in chocolate advertising in 2015
-
- Figure 21: Recorded above-the-line, online display and direct mail total advertising expenditure on chocolate confectionery, 2012-15
-
- Figure 22: Recorded above-the-line, online display and direct mail total advertising expenditure on chocolate confectionery, by sub-category, 2012-15
- Mars the biggest advertiser by some distance
-
- Figure 23: Recorded above-the-line, online display and direct mail total advertising expenditure on chocolate confectionery, by advertiser (top 10), 2012-15
- Galaxy the most heavily advertised brand
-
- Figure 24: Recorded above-the-line, online display and direct mail total advertising expenditure on chocolate confectionery, by brand (top 15), 2012-15
- Coverage/methodology clarification
Brand Research
-
- What you need to know
- Brand map
-
- Figure 25: Attitudes towards and usage of selected brands, January 2016
- Key brand metrics
-
- Figure 26: Key metrics for selected brands, January 2016
- Brand attitudes: Cadbury Dairy Milk the most trusted brand
-
- Figure 27: Attitudes, by brand, January 2016
- Brand personality: Hotel Chocolat has most exclusive image
-
- Figure 28: Brand personality – Macro image, January 2016
- Lindor has strong association with indulgence
-
- Figure 29: Brand personality – Micro image, January 2016
- Brand analysis
- Cadbury Dairy Milk building on its strong reputation
-
- Figure 30: User profile of Cadbury Dairy Milk, January 2016
- Galaxy seen as more indulgent than Dairy Milk
-
- Figure 31: User profile of Galaxy, January 2016
- KitKat stands out for offering accessible good value
-
- Figure 32: User profile of KitKat, January 2016
- Lindt’s Lindor stands out for indulgence
-
- Figure 33: User profile of Lindt Lindor, January 2016
- Thorntons among the more special brands
-
- Figure 34: User profile of Thorntons, January 2016
- Hotel Chocolat seen as the most innovative brand
-
- Figure 35: User profile of Hotel Chocolat, January 2016
- M&M’s seen as the most fun, vibrant and cool brand
-
- Figure 36: User profile of M&M’s, January 2016
- Kinder stands out as a family brand
-
- Figure 37: User profile of Kinder, January 2016
Launch Activity and Innovation
-
- Branded products dominate launch activity
-
- Figure 38: New product launches in the UK chocolate confectionery, share by branded products vs. private label, January 2011-December 2015
- Seasonal chocolate accounts for a third of launches
-
- Figure 39: New product launches in the UK chocolate confectionery market, share by sub-category, January 2011-December 2015
- Mondelēz and Nestlé lead 2015 launch activity
-
- Figure 40: Examples of launches by Galaxy in the UK chocolate confectionery market, 2015
- Figure 41: New product launches in the UK chocolate confectionery market, share by company (top 10), January 2011-December 2015
-
- Figure 42: Examples of launches by Cadbury Dairy Milk in the UK chocolate confectionery market, 2016
- Figure 43: Examples of Easter confectionery launches in the UK chocolate confectionery market, 2016
- Ethical claims increase in prominence
-
- Figure 44: New product launches in the UK chocolate confectionery market, share by claim (top 20), January 2011-December 2015
- Figure 45: Examples of launches in the UK chocolate confectionery market making premium claims, 2016
- Fewer completely new products being launched
-
- Figure 46: New product launches in the UK chocolate confectionery market, share by launch type, January 2011-December 2015
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
-
- Enduring appeal of chocolate as an affordable treat
- Increase in proportion of people eating blocks of chocolate
- Six in 10 people buy chocolate to treat themselves
- Putting an emphasis on luxury and novelty for the gifts market
- Trading up in self-treating more about the chocolate itself
- High in-store visibility important for new products
- Getting a good deal on price also important to chocolate buyers
- Room for chocolate as part of a balanced diet
- Consumer perception that dark chocolate healthier
Frequency of Eating Chocolate and Types Eaten
-
- No change in frequency of eating chocolate
-
- Figure 47: Frequency of eating chocolate in the last 3 months, February 2015 and February 2016
- More people eating blocks of chocolate
-
- Figure 48: Types of chocolate confectionery eaten in the last three months, February 2015 and 2016
Reasons for Buying Chocolate Confectionery
-
- Self-treating the biggest reason for buying chocolate
-
- Figure 49: Reasons for buying chocolate confectionery, February 2016
- Evening snacking on chocolate confectionery at home
- Sharing and special occasions important for chocolate
Factors Encouraging Buyers to Pay More for Chocolate
-
- Being seen as a luxury brand important for gifts
-
- Figure 50: Factors that would encourage people to pay more for chocolate when buying it either for themselves or as a gift, February 2016
- Trading up in self-treating more about trying unusual flavours
- Specialist chocolate stores more likely to command a price premium
- Combining personalisation and limited edition products
- Novelty element also important in the gift market
Shopping Behaviour When Buying Chocolate
-
- New flavours a big trigger for buying chocolate
-
- Figure 51: Shopping behaviour when buying chocolate, February 2016
- Social media has a strong influence
- Saving money an important element to buying chocolate
- Four in 10 people limiting their chocolate buying
Attitudes towards Chocolate
-
- Chocolate a permissible everyday treat
-
- Figure 52: Attitudes towards chocolate confectionery, February 2016
- Re-sealable packaging can help with portion control
- Dark chocolate seen as healthier than milk chocolate
- Emotional benefits provide a strong defence against health concerns
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
-
- Abbreviations
- Fan chart forecast
Appendix – The Market
-
-
- Figure 53: Best- and worst-case forecast of total UK retail value sales of chocolate*, 2010-20
- Figure 54: Best- and worst-case forecast of total UK retail value sales of chocolate confectionery, 2010-20
- Figure 55: Best- and worst-case forecast of total UK retail value sales of chocolate assortments, 2010-20
-
- Figure 56: Best- and worst-case forecast of total UK retail volume sales of chocolate*, 2010-20
- Figure 57: Best- and worst-case forecast of total UK retail volume sales of chocolate confectionery, 2010-20
- Figure 58: Best- and worst-case forecast of total UK retail volume sales of chocolate assortments, 2010-20
-
Appendix – Key Players
-
-
- Figure 59: Leading manufacturers’ sales in the UK chocolate confectionery market, by value and volume, 2013/14 and 2014/15
- Figure 60: Leading manufacturers’ sales in the UK chocolate assortments market, by value and volume, 2013/14 and 2014/15
-
- Figure 61: New product launches in the UK chocolate confectionery market, branded vs private label share by category, January-December 2015
-
Back to top