Going to The Chocolate Show?

Chocolate is certainly becoming big business these days and most definitely warrants its own show. So say organisers of The Chocolate Show who are expecting 15,000 people to flock through their doors between the 16^th and 18^th October.

Located at Olympia’s National Hall in London, big and fine names will feature such as Rococo, Paul A Young, Hotel Chocolate and Divine. Visitors will even be able to try their hand at making chocolate from the bean. 

Youngsters can be entertained by members of the West End musical, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory with plenty of chocolate play and even a Great Glass Elevator. Probably some oompa loompas too I’d reckon. It all sounds like a grand and very chocolatey day out.

Fun aside, in addition to eager consumers, this must also be a very useful show for chocolate retailers, seeking to better understand the nature of the UK chocolate market and the opportunities for growth. For example, there will be a healthy chocolate area exploring the reasons why chocolate can actually be considered good for you (in moderation) and manufacturers will be showcasing their products.

Organised by Salon du Chocolat, this has all the hallmarks of an interesting and enjoyable show, whether you’re there to try as many new tastes as possible or to find some opportunities for your business. Now, where did I put my train timetable…

www.sweetretailing.co.uk

www.thechocolateshow.co.uk

UK confectionery market facts

A new Keynotes confectionery report was launched in March and is clearly available to buy. Meanwhile, there are a few snippets being reported from it and we detail them here for you, keeping you up to date on the UK confectionery market.

On a positive note, Keynotes forecast that the total value growth of the UK confectionery market will be 8.6% between 2015 and 2019. Two factors will account for this rise:

1.       Retail price inflation

2.       An increasing demand for premium quality confectionery following the recovery in the economy

In 2014, total value sales of UK confectionery grew by 2.1%

A big concern at the moment is the level of sugar in confectionery, as the government and the media make shoppers fully aware of the situation. 60.2% of UK consumers are concerned about high sugar levels in confectionery, with worried parents starting to limit consumption for their children.

The future of the UK confectionery market is never totally clear, as is the case for any market category. Whilst sugar is likely to shape it in some way, the fact remains that we all have a soft spot for confectionery and will most likely always find it in our hearts to enjoy the odd sweet treat. I for one would agree with that!

And if you don’t think that the UK confectionery market is growing fast enough for you, take a look at this top 10 list for the fastest growing chocolate markets across the globe as supplied by Euromonitor International. You might be tempted to consider a business venture in India or Venezuela during the next few years:

CAGR% growth in chocolate 2010-2015

India	17.2
Venezuela	17.2
Algeria	11.9
UAE	11.6
Saudi Arabia	11.5
Argentina	10.0
Nigeria	9.4
China	8.7
Pakistan	8.1
Costa Rica	7.8

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Who eats the most chocolate?

According to recently discussed Euromonitor data, Around $100 billion worth of chocolate will be eaten globally during 2015. Within this, there are some clear winners and losers where the per capita amount is concerned. Luckily, us Brits are doing a good job of eating our fair share! 

Here’s a run-down of the top ten biggest chocolate eating countries for 2015:

1.       Switzerland        $236.00 of chocolate per person (that’s about £150!)

2.       Ireland                $146.90 of chocolate per person

3.       UK                     $146.00 of chocolate per person

4.       Norway              $145.10 of chocolate per person

5.       Denmark            $105.60 of chocolate per person

6.       Austria               $104.20 of chocolate per person

7.       Sweden              $103.00 of chocolate per person

8.       New Zealand     $97.00 of chocolate per person

9.       Australia            $96.10 of chocolate per person

10.   Finland               $94.60 of chocolate per person

Interestingly, whilst the USA is the largest chocolate market in the world, when comparing per capita values, they rank 20^th at $56.80 per person.

Milk chocolate not surprisingly leads the world but dark and filled chocolate are continuing to see growth trends whilst white chocolate sales are actually on decline globally.

So it would seem that the UK chocolate market is not a bad one to be in at the moment, though we are all perhaps eating as much of the brown stuff as we’re able and so brand differentiation and adding value become much more important to gain market share.

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