Focus On Confectionery: 29 September

Focus on Confectionery

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Submissions deadline: 10 September

Advertising deadline 14 September

 

The Story

Confectionery has had a makeover. And it’s hoping the new look will draw in a younger crowd.

As younger consumers become more sugar-conscious and ethically minded, a standard slab of milk chocolate just won’t cut it anymore. Today’s punter wants to know exactly how many grams of sugar it contains, its percentage cocoa content and exactly how that cocoa was sourced. Brands are now responding to these needs. We have everything from large corporations to small brands entering the UK with a fresh ethical stance.

In sweets the market is being shaken up by start-ups targeting the younger consumer such as The Apprentice winner Sarah Lynn’s Sweets in the City, aiming to make sweets more of a gifting occasion. So what does the future hold for confectionery?

 

Confectionery: Health by James Halliwell

Sugar is the enemy, right? Well, it is according to the government, public health experts and nutritionists. But consumers are reluctant to give up that hit of sweetness. So confectioners have turned to science to achieve the holy grail of combining taste and health. Big Brands & start-ups are claiming to have cracked the formula for sweetness without much of the white stuff. So what is the science behind this and can it work?

Key themes

The science: How are companies managing to reduce sugar content in their products? Many are using different scientific methods. How do they differ and to what extent do they cut sugar?

Taste vs health: Taste remains the number one goal for consumers. Have any of these innovations manage to hit the spot when it comes to tastebuds?

Sales: How are ‘healthier’ chocolates doing in terms of sales? They are a small proportion of the market at the moment, but at what rate are they growing? And what about sweets?

Harris Interactive data: We look at consumer appetite for lower sugar brands

The 20% reduction: How close are confectioners to the 20% sugar reduction set by Public Health England? This article suggests it’s still a distant goal. Full report here.

The 100% cocoa club: One way of getting rid of sugar is by making a 100% cocoa bar. What prompted them to launch a 100% variant and what kind of take-up has there been?

 

Confectionery: Chocolate by Megan Tatum

No longer are consumers chowing down on a chocolate bar without a thought to where it came from. Shoppers now want to know the ethics behind their cocoa fix and some brands have spotted a gap in the market. So are these new brands the future? To what extent will consumers switch away from mainstream brands for a more ethical proposition? Or is taste still king?

Key themes

Ethics: Which brands are pioneering ethical chocolate? How do their propositions differ and to what extent do they believe this message will resonate with the consumer?

Organic: To what extent is there a crossover between ethical and organic? And with one brand bringing out its first ethical and organic bars, what does this mean for brands who have ditched Fairtrade and organic?

Premium: Higher-end brands have done particularly well this year. Are people looking for more premium chocolate? And is this in the case of gifting occasions, or does that extend to countlines, too?

Changing consumption: According to Kantar, we’re eating chocolate less as snack. Why? What does this mean for chocolate? And are we eating it at other times instead?

Innovations: Eight of the most recent innovations in chocolate, ideally not featured in The Grocer before including supply launch date, rsp and pic.

Shopper Intelligence data: We look at how the retailers are tackling the confectionery aisles.

 

Confectionery: Sweets by Ash O’Mahony

What do an Apprentice winner, a Made in Chelsea star and a Danish entrepreneur have in common? They have all launched confectionery businesses looking to change the shape of the sweets industry, that’s what. So how can start-ups change the face of the sweets industry?

Key themes

The future of sweets: Does e-commerce hold an opportunity? How about luxury sweets? Could the UK see something along the lines of this NY start-up in future?

Sugar candy: Volumes and value are up over 7%, despite the war on sugar. Why is this? Which innovations are leading the way?

Gum: Gum is also in need of innovation. In 2017 the chewing gum category lost 3.8% of its value sales, falling to £261m. Earlier this year Wrigley launched Starburst chewing gum, which it claimed was its biggest launch in almost six years, to target the younger consumer. Can this work? Who else is innovating?

Data trends: The rise and fall of different sub-categories and the top brands in the sugar confectionery market.

Innovations: Twelve of the most recent innovations in sugar confectionery, ideally not featured in The Grocer before including launch date, rsp and pic.