CURRENT TRENDS IN CONFECTIONERY

Since my first foray into the confectionery market ten years ago, the sector has changed remarkably, particularly in the UK. There is a huge variety of both sweet and chocolate brands and the market has increased in sophistication beyond belief. The number of artisan chocolate brands, for example in the south of England has gone from one or two to more than ten within the last 10 years. From a country that used to import most of its chocolate products this is encouraging. When I was a kid it had to be Swiss or Belgian chocolate, now it is almost more special to buy a loved one chocolates from the UK.

I remember well my first visit to ISM in Cologne and being amazed at the variety of confectionery on offer from Europe, whilst virtually the only busy stand on the UK Pavilion was one selling bras and knickers made of refreshers! I am pleased to say that the UK seems to have made strides in a more positive direction in innovation and sophistication with the confectionery sector!!

A few years ago artisan producers started introducing more unusual flavours into chocolate whether in bars, novelty shapes or Easter eggs. We saw the arrival of vanilla, chilli, cardamom, and even salt and pepper. These products and flavours are still around, and more are emerging. Possibly some but manufacturers are maybe trying just a bit too hard, but this partly comes from the market almost reaching saturation point and some manufacturers have to produce something different to stand out from the crowd. Having said all that, the quality of some of these chocolate bars is far higher than it was only a few years ago, and on a personal note, I just love the kick from the chilli after I have enjoyed a mouthful of chocolate.

Another of the fastest growing trends in recent years, almost reaching exponential proportions has been the growth in retro sweets. Hope and Greenwood pioneered this trend, and have since been followed by several lower priced copy-cat brands. However these newer brands sometimes miss the charm, fun and playfulness that Mr Greenwood and Miss Hope bring to the retro sweet market. It is not just about the products, such as flying saucers, sherbet dips and lover hearts, but the way they are presented and the story behind the products.

However, many of these retro products are still using E number and artificial colours in their products whilst the market in our sector is demanding sweets that are free from artificial flavours and colours. Even though the colours aren’t quite as vivid, it is essential that these manufacturers move with the times if this trend is going to continue growing.

The premium trend is more recent and there’s been a huge increase in awareness of what constitutes quality confectionery, and an increase in the supply base too. David Hill, MD of Confectionery Sales & Marketing Consultancy, Cocoda Ltd says “It’s as if the bar has been raised so that brands like Lindt or Green & Blacks, which were considered premium and even exclusive 10 years ago, have since become the entry point for premium.” Hill says, “While these will always be terrific products and brands, over this period, there has been an explosion in awareness and brands at a higher level such as Hotel Chocolat, Chocca Mocca, James, up to and including brands like Paul A Young, l’Artisan du Chocolat and Melt”

Some customers are now happy to pay over £3 for a 75-100g bar of chocolate whereas the most anyone would pay a few years ago was around £1.50 - £2.00. I have been approached by many producers of chocolate bars within the last year and there is a danger of proliferation without generating the volumes needed to run a successful business. It is important to distinguish between truly artisan products here and branding companies that are simply putting their own design on chocolate bars that are all produced in the same factory in Italy or Switzerland.

Finally let’s consider the ‘ethical’ trend that seems to cover the greatest spread of USPs. David Hill again, “These are much ‘softer’ and tactile cues. Organic, fair trade, provenance, single estate all lie within this category”. There are many examples covering these trends; Summerdown Mint has an unrivalled provenance story and Prestat’s support of the ESOKO scheme are just 2 examples, but it is wrong to assume this is only relevant to chocolate confectionery. The Natural Candy Shop range is entirely free from artificial flavours, colourings and preservatives and a new sugar confectionery range called ‘Jealous’ which says “everything from Happy Birthday, to I Love you, Happy Diwali, Hanukkah and Eid” addresses the ethical needs of many consumers.

So, clearly, it is important to stock products that exhibit one or preferably more than one of the trends talked about here. If I have one tip it would be to ensure that you include some brands that have some degree of marketing behind them that will drive some volume, as well as the brands that customers may not have heard of, but will buy on appearance and interest.