With an offer of less weight and striking presentations, it is how fine chocolate hopes to resume its double-digit growth in sales this February 14, an opportunity that Mars, Ferrero and Nestlé do not waste.
“The expected growth for this year in the subcategory of fine is greater than what was the past (year), it is a condition of aspirational chocolate and that can be shared as a present, given the economic conditions became accessible, and The fine chocolate market is led by Ferrero, Mars, Hershey’s Y Nestle with a participation greater than 75 percent in this month ”said Julio Rascón, director of the confectionery segment at ISCAM, a consultant that measures the wholesale channel.
He added that the category of fine chocolates It will be favored by presentations of lower weight whose costs are around 30 and 50 pesos, when the price in the previous presentations was for 200 pesos, a reduction of between 75 and 85 percent in its value.
A box of Ferrero Rocher in its presentation of 300 grams has an average cost of 182 pesos, while for the season they launched two products, one in a heart-shaped box with 25 grams for 25 pesos, and a tube decorated with hearts for the season with 63 grams for 46 pesos.
The above is a reduction of between 90 and 80 percent in volume, and between 86 and 84 percent in value, for the product.
During Valentine’s Day almost two out of 10 chocolates sold are of the subcategory of fine, last year they suffered a slowdown in sales during February, as they grew 6.9 percent annually, when the indicator used to be above 20 percent, affected by the caution of consumption.
“This is due to the conditions macroeconomic from last year and with this fine strategy, sales are expected to rebound, including the entire category of chocolates ”, Rascon said.
In February 2019, 75 percent of the chocolates that were sold were in the presentations of figures and tablets, data from INEGI revealed.
In February 2019 the category of chocolates had a value of 614.3 million pesos, an annual sales growth of 11.6 percent, with the strategy of the category of fines of less weight and that the celebration of the Day of Love and Friendship will take place on Friday, The industry expects this February sales increase to be between 9 and 11 percent annually.
“This year, February 14 will be on Friday, so we expect the celebrations to extend throughout the weekend, helping to increase segment sales and more consumption opportunities,” Paulina Ruiz Lang, manager responded via email of corporate communication for Mars Wrigley Mexico.
Ruiz Lang noted that The chocolate industry in Mexico still has a long way to go, because consumption per capita it is around 0.7 kilograms, when in other countries it is more than 3 kilos, So it is an opportunity to celebrate seasons like Valentine’s Day, because they allow the expansion of options in the portfolio.
Mars Wrigley Mexico brings to the shelves the brands m & m’s, Snickers, Dove, MilkyWay, Turin, Conejos, which during Valentine’s Day of 2019 had an annual increase of 8.8 percent in their sales.
Without sugar, it already has 2% of sales
Innovations and inclusion is also one of the consumption strategies in the chocolate industry, which has found in the low sugar market a market that at the moment already represents 2 percent of the industry’s sales.
“The percentage of chocolates produced without sugar is still low and we calculate it at approximately 2 percent; However, every day the brands of the producers that we associate are responding to the market and are looking for innovations in the production of low-sugar or sugar-free chocolate to respond to this market, ”Miguel Ángel Sainz Trápaga, president of the Association, said via email National Manufacturers of Chocolates, Sweets and Similar (Aschoco).
Some brands of chocolates that already have a sugar-free or low-calorie version are Carlos V and Larín de Nestlé, in addition to Turin de Mars.
“We have worked hard to bring all these different options to Mexico, and Turin Without Sugar has become a favorite with growth above the category,” said Ruiz Lang of Mars Wrigley Mexico.
For its part, Nestlé wants to go beyond only its brands Carlos V and Larín, so he said that Chocolate Granny may soon present its reduced sugar variant.
“At the moment there are no sugar-free Granny Chocolate products; however, we are working on formulating a reduced sugar alternative for consumers looking for that option, ”Nestlé replied via email.
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