Source: Ritter Sport

The brand said it wanted to “increase brand awareness and drive household penetration”.

Chocolate brand Ritter Sport is launching a DTC offer.

It has created a new online ‘Choco Shop’ where shoppers can access its entire range as well as exclusive NPD and SKUs previously not sold in the UK.

These would include new personalised gifting items and merchandise such as plushy sloth toys, it said.

The brand said it wanted to “increase brand awareness and drive household penetration”.

It offered a “huge opportunity for us to learn about our customers’ purchasing habits and which flavours are winning”, said Ritter Sport UK & Ireland head of marketing Katy Clark.

“Everything we learn from selling direct to consumers will feed into our retail strategy with customers and we are confident the increase in consumer awareness and demand will create a win-win for us and our retail partners long-term.”

The brand also unveiled a duo of mini pouches made from fully recyclable paper this week. The pouches - Chocolate Mix and Nut Selection - contain a selection of individually wrapped chocolate. They will Roll into Ocado this month (rsp: £2.50/116g - 150g).

Ritter Sport plans to transition its entire range to paper packaging by 2025. 

The launch will be backed by a paid social media campaign with product advertising and giveaways on Facebook and Instagram.