Chocolate Play-Doh?

 

Is there such a thing? Of course not! But there is Magic Choc which launched earlier this month. 

This is an interesting if not a cheap idea. Choc-o-Bloc has launched a mouldable chocolate product that does not melt. Made from Belgian chocolate, children can shape it to their heart’s delight without getting covered in chocolate. Then I would guess that they have the satisfaction of eating their “work of art”! 

So far in the UK, Toys R Us has stocked the product in addition to a number of independent stores (and no end of online businesses it seems). Starter packs retail at £4.99 whilst more comprehensive packs are priced at £9.99. 

Is this one for certain confectionery retailers to stock? Sweet Retailing would love to hear your thoughts.

3D Chocolate

The University of Exeter has apparently developed a prototype that can print in 3D…using chocolate! It quite simply prints using chocolate instead of ink and builds up the design in layers as the chocolate dries. 

Not surprisingly, several retailers have already expressed an interest in the novel printer. The potential is quite huge if you think about it. To my mind, this sort of unique device would create a great USP for troubled Thorntons, allowing customers to visit the shop and create a personalised image on a computer screen, watching as it becomes created entirely out of chocolate! Temperature might be an issue though on a hot day… 

Sweet Retailing will watch with interest to see just how this technology develops. It certainly goes to show that there is plenty of life left in the much loved chocolate industry!

Mood lifting research

A new piece of research has been published in the Journal of Psychology and Marketing in the USA concluding that shopping does actually lift your mood.

Perhaps we all know this from personal experience and perhaps confectionery retailers know that in tough times, shoppers turn to affordable treats. However, official confirmation of the fact leaves us wanting to advise you to make the most of it!

Researchers conducted hundreds of interviews at shopping centres as well as asking shoppers to keep diaries of their shopping behaviour, moods and buys they regretted.

Those who said they were in a bad mood on their way into a shop were more likely to indulge in an impulse buy. A total of 62 percent said they had bought something to cheer themselves up while 28 percent said they had indulged as a form of celebration.

Selin Atalay and Margaret Meloy are the authors of the study, Retail therapy: A strategic effort to improve mood. They say retailers can learn from the findings and ensure that they appeal to customers with the right emotional messages and slogans.

Another useful fact from Sweet Retailing - plenty more on the website!

Healthy Chocolate

Whilst we have probably all read about the health benefits of dark chocolate, it seems that the evidence does keep building.

Leatherhead Food Research has launched a new report called Future Directions for Functional Foods. Within the report, dark chocolate is discussed widely and is now apparently bought by 40% of UK households. 

The report goes on to suggest many claims for dark chocolate, some of which are well documented and others not so just yet:

            Anti ageing benefits

            Heart health claims

Mood enhancing properties due to constituents such as Anandamines, Caffeine and Magnesium

It can stimulate the secretion of endorphins and boost serotonin. 

The report states that there is more work to be done to substantiate these claims but the picture is certainly building and the functional confectionery market is yet to go mainstream, if it ever does. 

Interesting reading though and good for retailers to remain armed with such facts for their customers! 

For many more confectionery facts, remember to keep your eye on Sweet Retailing.

Free website from Google

If anyone fancies a free website, you might want to take a look at http://www.gbbo.co.uk/

Google is running a competition which aims to encourage more businesses to set up websites – it says that 40% of small and medium sized companies do not have a website.

Google’s “Getting British Business Online” tool is entirely free to use for a year and they reckon it is really easy to use!

The free to enter competition is open to all retailers that operate in the UK with 50 full time staff or less. A panel of experts will judge all websites created using the free tool (closing date 26 June) declaring an e-champion who will receive promotion on the website and a selection of Google products.

Good luck - you heard it here on Sweet Retailing!

Easter sales down?

If your Easter chocolate sales have not been quite as you would like, be consoled by the fact that you are not alone.

The Grocer has reported that supermarket Easter egg sales were “hammered” by the hot weather as shoppers swapped chocolate for a cold beer over the Easter Bank Holiday.

The Grocer reported:

"Easter got hammered by the hot weather," said one senior confectionery source. "Everyone was very comfortable in the run-up to Easter, but two weeks prior to the weekend, we saw the first of the good weather and instantly saw a significant dip in like-for-likes." Some sales were down 20%, he added.

Data from Assosia revealed promotions were hastily switched as the hot weather began. The number of ambient confectionery promotions offered by the big four, Waitrose and The Co-op Group slumped 14.1% in the two weeks leading up to Easter Sunday, against the equivalent two weeks the year before.

The switch was most pronounced at Tesco, with confectionery promotions down 36.2% but beer deals up 262.5%. Morrisons was the only retailer to increase confectionery promotions during the period.

Retailers had cancelled their Easter egg orders, resulting in a "buoyant season" for branded eggs in the residual market, revealed another source.

"There has been a slush of job stocks available through wholesalers with brands such as Lindt, Cadbury and Milky Way," the source said. "The type of egg offered and the time they are being offered has been marginally earlier than usual due to the discounting by the multiples and cancellations by a wider base of retailers."

In addition to the supermarkets, The Telegraph has just reported that Thorntons has not had the best of times over the bank holidays where chocolate sales are concerned.

The company said sales at its 371 company-owned stores were down 13.9pc to £31.4m in the 16 weeks to April 30, a 12.6pc like-for-like decline.

But the company did see sales in its commercial channel - selling through supermarkets - increase 25.1pc in the face of strong competition.

Keep an eye on Sweet Retailing to be up to date on confectionery retailing activities!

We're tweeting!

Well it seemed to make sense. If Twitter is your thing, you can know the moment that we add something new and interesting to read on Sweet Retailing as we will tweet it.

So next time you head over to Twitter search for us by name and follow our tweets. We look forward to seeing you there!