A point of difference?

I think that the objective of any UK confectionery retailer is to maximise their sales and stand out against the competition so that they have a point of difference. Nothing new there then.

It has always been said that price is only ever a short term point of difference – someone can always be cheaper. How true. But what about your product range?

A recent hot topic is American confectionery. Considered a niche sector of the UK confectionery market, American sweets and chocolates have really taken the market by storm in the last 12 to 24 months. More UK retailers and wholesalers have sprung up, dedicated to this profitable and different confectionery category whilst many confectionery retailers have been and continue to enjoy strong sales of these different and fun treats.

But what happens when the supermarkets get wind of it? We are about to find out. Asda has already leapt headlong into American confectionery, firstly with Hershey’s and Reese’s over a year ago and now with American Confectionery bays in 100 stores. It was revealed in The Grocer (4 August) that Tesco is to trial an American fixture in 10 of its stores. The range will include Hershey’s chocolate.

So is this the end of the advantage that smaller confectionery stores and retailers have on American confectionery or can they still use the category as a point of difference and benefit from the strong sales that exist? I guess that only time can tell and it certainly demonstrates the importance of keeping a close eye on the quality and uniqueness of your product range. It doesn't all have to been remarkably different of course, but you will want to be assured of those sectors and ranges that are.

Maximising the potential of any advantage that you have has never been so important. Smaller retailers are certainly able to do this, given that they can really get to understand their local shopper profile and what they want to buy from them. This is where they can truly stand apart, carving out a local position for themselves regardless of what the larger stores are up to. It never hurts to understand what’s going on behind your back though.

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