Sales set to spring as Ferrero invests in Seasonal NPD

Ferrero is investing £2.7m in media across spring 2020, coupled with the launch of 10 new seasonal lines to complement its strong core range.

Levi Boorer, Customer Development Director at Ferrero, comments: “We expect to see shoppers planning in advance and being more considered in their purchasing decisions for Mother’s Day and Easter. We would therefore encourage retailers to stock up early to make sure they meet the demand for those shoppers looking to purchase in advance. On the flipside, Valentine’s Day is quite last minute for shoppers, so it’s important to be big and bold two weeks prior to the day to yield success.”

Easter eggs

Eggs remain a firm nostalgic favourite. Driven largely by NPD, the total Easter eggs category performed well in 2019, growing by +3.7%. “This year we’ll be bolstering our eggs range with an array of products to appeal to shoppers throughout the Easter period,” Boorer continues.

Kids Eggs

The Kinder range will be strengthened with the launch of two new Kinder Surprise eggs that include bigger toys and relevant licenses. The new Kinder Surprise 100g will see Justice League and Trolls toys featured, while the larger Kinder Surprise 220g eggs will receive a Marvel Avengers update.

Thorntons will also be adding two new products to its range. Sitting alongside its bunny Easter egg designs, the new Dinosaur and Unicorn eggs (151g) will feature fun and eye-catching designs with a high level of characterisation to bring the popular creatures to life.

Adult Eggs

“We’re also introducing a new premium adult option with the Ferrero Collection Egg (240g). Featuring a milk chocolate shell, the egg is complimented with six Ferrero Collection chocolates (Ferrero Rocher, Ferrero Rondnoir and Raffaello).”

Thorntons will also be revamping the design of three of its smaller Easter eggs, featuring an updated packaging design that reflects Thorntons’ established heritage in premium chocolate craftsmanship. A new Mint egg (197g) will now sit alongside the returning Classic (207g) and Toffee, Fudge & Caramel (203g) eggs.

Thorntons is also expanding its range of premium gift eggs, perfect for shoppers to give as a treat to someone special. With an improved luxury look and feel to boost appeal in store, the existing Classic Premium Egg (264g) and Continental Premium Egg (256g) will be joined by a new Continental Dark Premium Egg (256g).

Self-treat, novelties and sharing

The Kinder Joy Easter range will undergo a revamp in 2020, which will see sixteen different toys launched in what will be the ranges’ largest selection. As the number two self-treat confectionery line during Easter 2019, the updated Kinder Joy range will encourage early seasonal sales.

Kinder will also introduce a new Mini Eggs option, perfect for shoppers to enjoy on the move or for sharing with the family as a small treat. With a milk chocolate shell, the mini eggs are filled with a soft milky hazelnut centre.

Thorntons is also expanding its footprint in the self-treat impulse sector with the introduction of a Thorntons Bunny (29g) and Thorntons Chocolate Caramel Egg (36g).

The Kinder novelties range will also see the launch of the Kinder Mix Bunny Headband. Taking a seasonal twist on the Christmas Kinder Mix Reindeer Headband, the 167g product will feature a selection of Kinder Mini Bueno, Kinder Mini Chocolate and Kinder Mini Chocolate with Cereals for families to share. In addition, Kinder Chocolate is adding to its fluffy toys range, welcoming a new Leopard (73g) that joins the bunny and sheep novelties.

Boxed chocolates

“We’d always recommend that retailers focus on the core all year range first and foremost, as shoppers trust and recognise the well-known brands for their quality,” Boorer continues. “Our Ferrero Rocher brand was the number one in value sales and value ROS at Mother’s Day in 2018 for instance.”

It’s no surprise that shoppers spend more to show their affection towards loved ones in the lead up to the spring occasions. 40% of baskets contained chocolate confectionery last Valentine’s Day alone.

As an extension of its recent Classics makeover, Thorntons will be giving its boxed chocolates a Spring twist with a new packaging update available throughout the season to encourage shoppers to gift an extra special box of chocolates. With over 6.8 million shoppers at Valentine’s Day (+2.0% more than 2019), Thorntons is launching the Classic ‘With Love’ box to drive relevance across the key seasonal gifting occasions.