Some figures were recently
reported that suggested more than £100m of confectionery sales are now done
online. This has apparently grown by 28.4% in the last year and accounts for 3%
of all confectionery sales in the UK. Is this a trend that we should take
especially seriously? Well, extrapolate that growth rate and it’s not
unreasonable to suggest that within the next five to six years, at least 9% of
all confectionery sales could be done online. That’s serious!
Research suggests that there is
a decline in on-the-go confectionery sales whilst purchases for home
consumption are firmly on the up. Less a case of filling up on confectionery
during the day but more indulging in our sweet treats in the safety of our own
home when we are relaxing with friends and family – or alone perhaps. Shoppers
are buying more planned confectionery with their main shop too.
This has big implications for
product formats in both retail stores and online shops. Perhaps offering
sharing products for home consumption to buy online is the winning formula?!
The fact that we all love our
confectionery is not going to diminish to my mind, even if it is not the
healthiest thing around – we need some pleasures! But it does look like how we
buy it and where and when we prefer to consume it could change over time. The
savvy retailer will surely keep a close eye on this so that they can move their
range (and sales format) on in time with the changing trends.
