Hot new launches plus fresh takes on classics will dominate egg buyers' baskets in 2002, says Sarah Hardcastle E aster is the second biggest profit generator in the confectionery year. Sales grew 5% this year ­ taking the market to £484m ­ driven by eggs and novelties which shot up by 8% (ACNielsen/Nestlé Rowntree). This month and next retailers will finalise their line up for 2002. So how are major brands planning to make next Easter's sales go with a swing? Confectionery buyer Wilf Slee of Palmer & Harvey McLane, the UK's largest delivered wholesaler, says he has no need of a crystal ball to predict what will fly off the shelves. "It'll be Harry Potter Easter eggs from Mars. My prediction is that they will be a massive hit. The Mars 120g egg will retail for £3.99 and contains two chocolate frogs and two collector cards." The remainder of Mars' Easter range is still under wraps, but the company says it will be building on this year's successes which include Mars Large Egg (21% up), Celebrations Large Egg (31% increase) and the Maltesers Small Egg which soared a massive 93%. Cadbury Trebor Bassett has a huge chunk of the Easter market ­ it claims nearly 44% ­ thanks to a line up of bestsellers led by Creme Egg, the leading filled egg, which saw sales shoot to £41m this year. This week it pulled the covers off next year's range which has 11 new lines. These include Crunchie Nuggets and Double Decker eggs, both making their debut at £2.99, plus new designs for Snowflake, Flake, Time Out and Squegg eggs at the same price point. There are all kinds of tempting combinations for kids including a new Refreshers egg made from lemonade white chocolate that fizzes in the mouth (rsp £1.99) and a white chocolate raspberry ripple flavoured Jelly Baby Sundae (rsp £2.99), both part of the Bassetts brand. Nestlé Rowntree's newcomers include its All Stars twistwrap assortment for kids, which makes its egg debut at £2.99, plus Aero Honeycomb and After Eight Truffles eggs. Its Disney links will be maximised with a range based on the expected new blockbuster Disney Monsters, and the company is putting much effort into its Milkybar brand with a new fondant-filled white chocolate egg, plus a makeover for the medium egg and a gift egg with an egg cup and spoon (£4.99). Also in the kids market, Kinnerton is breaking new ground in the character licensed arena with a dairy- and nut-free Simpsons egg for allergy sufferers. Chocolate orange fans won't be disappointed by Kraft Foods' range featuring all the variations of Terry's Chocolate Orange. The highlight is the new Terry's Chocolate Orange Egg & Spoon (rsp £1.99) consisting of four individual milk chocolate eggs ­ two containing a whipped orange flavoured filling and two with a whipped chocolate flavoured filling ­ in an attention-grabbing orange and blue egg-box shaped pack. Packs contain spoons to flip the egg top and scoop the filling. Trading controller Doug McGowan says that in trials sales of the new product were incremental and didn't cannibalise those of the core brand. Kraft is also bringing back Terry's Chocolate Orange Mini Segments Shell Egg, a top 10 teen buy this year, with revamped sports packaging, along with Toblerone One by One Egg that is supported by a £1.5m brand advertising campaign next year. To give chocolate orange sales a further push, the Terry's brand is backed by a £3.5m TV advertising campaign. Terry's All Gold Milk and All Gold Dark eggs also expect a lift from a contemporary redesign. For the growing premium market Kraft has two Suchard offerings ­ Premium Egg (£9.99) and Adult Egg (£4.99, backed by a £500,000 advertising spend. Belgian chocolatier Duc d'O plans to capitalise on the season with a luxury 270g Presentation Chocolate Easter Egg wrapped in peach and gold fabric and filled with mini-praline eggs. At rsp £8.99, it is available through UK distributor Ryne Quality Confectionery. Ryne has two further Duc d'O Easter lines ­ a compendium pack with a variety of Beligan truffles and pralines, and a 160g egg, both at rsp £9.99. Lindt had a very good Easter this year with sales increasing 27% thanks to the runaway success of its Gold Bunny. Next year the bunny will be hopping back with its own gold foil wrapped egg containing three 10g mini bunnies. Also at the luxury end of the market, Ferrero plans a Spring TV campaign to boost its ranges which include the Rocher T16 Egg for adults (rsp £3.99). The product ­ third in adult shell eggs ­ has a new Rocher display unit with enhanced graphics. {{FOCUS SPECIALS }}