General News
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Chinese confectionery analysis and forecast
21 February 2019A new data guide on the Chinese confectionery market provides a complete overview of the market during the period 2010-2018, with forecast data to 2023. The data guide comprises retail sales, of various categories within Confectionery, such as Sugar Confectionery, Gum, and Snack Bars, along with their values, volume and channels of distribution. It also provides an in-depth analysis of the various segments in the Confectionery market, along with their growth perspective, which is expected to help in venturing into specific growth areas. Market value In 2018, the China Confectionery market was valued at 106535 CNY mn, registering at a CAGR of 0.63%. The Sugar Confectionery category accounted for the largest market share, while registering an average CAGR of 0.33% since 2010. Medicated Confectionery is the most preferred segment in the Sugar Confectionery category, followed by the Mints segment. The Gum category has been registering a steady decline of -0.48% in CAGR since 2010, which is expected to continue over the forecast period. Among the distribution channels, the Convenience Stores channel is preferred the most by the majority of the people in China. Supermarkets and Hypermarkets are the second largest distribution channel for the sales of Confectionery in China. Energy Bars accounts for the smallest share in the Snack Bars category, which is expected to witness a CAGR of 9.77% during the forecast period, while the Cereal Bars segment volume sales are witnessing the fastest growth in the Snack Bars category. Read more: China Confectionery Market Analysis (2013 - 2023) The Gum category has been registering a steady decline
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Nestlé launches green tea KitKat in Europe
21 February 2019Nestlé’s KitKat Green Tea Matcha will bring the flavour of Japan to Europe when it is launched this spring. The four-finger treat will be available in retailers across Europe starting in late February. KitKat Green Tea Matcha is inspired by one of the most popular of the 350+ KitKat varieties that have been available in Japan over the years. Matcha is a traditional drink made from powdered green tea that has been enjoyed for centuries in Japan, often as part of an elaborate tea ceremony. In KitKat Green Tea Matcha, it is combined with smooth white chocolate to give a sweet and fragrant flavour. “Nestlé in Japan has taken KitKat to the next level in the last two decades, with innovative flavour combinations and inspiring special editions. We are excited to bring one of the most iconic Japanese KitKats back home to Europe this year,” said Alexander von Maillot, Global Head of Confectionery at Nestlé. KitKat Green Tea Matcha for the European market is manufactured in Hamburg, Germany using UTZ-certified cocoa beans and real Matcha green tea from Japan and China. There are no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives. The new launch follows on from the introduction of KitKat Ruby in Europe in 2018. Alexander von Maillot added: “The launches of KitKat Ruby and KitKat Green Tea Matcha are further proof of our commitment to our leading international confectionery brand. We have introduced other innovative flavours and premium products to KitKat, KitKat Chunky and KitKat Senses in recent years, and there is more to come!” The rise of KitKat in Japan began in the year 2000 with a strawberry flavour version. In 2004, the ‘KitKat Uji Matcha’ was released. With the introduction of a new technology to mix matcha powder into chocolate, the product became a huge hit.
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Chocolate confectionery market report published
20 February 2019A new report on the chocolate confectionery market has been released by TMR Research. The confectionery industry is broadly segmented into two categories – bakers' confectionery and sugar confectionery. Chocolate confectionery involves sugar confections, in which the primary ingredient is chocolate. Depending on the types of chocolates, such as dark chocolates, milk chocolates, and white chocolates, various innovative types of chocolate confections are being introduced by leading players in the chocolate confectionery market. Notable developments Lotte Confectionery Co. Ltd., Nestlé S.A., Grupo Arcor, Ferrero SpA, The Hershey Company, Lindt & Sprüngli AG, Ezaki Glico Co., Ltd., Mars Incorporated, Delfi Limited, Mondelez International, Inc., and Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company are among the leading companies in the chocolate confectionery market. • Mars Wrigley Confectionery announced its new cocoa sustainability strategy in September 2018. The company's new plan - Cocoa for Generations - for overhauling its cocoa supply chain creates a pathway for cocoa-growing communities and smallholder cocoa farmers to thrive. The company also announced an investment of US$1 billion over the span of a decade and its goal to have 100% of its cocoa in chocolate confectionery to be responsibly traceable and sourced globally by 2025. • Mondelez International, Inc. is another American chocolate confectionery company to have announced that its chocolate brand 'Milka' will join the sustainable cocoa sourcing program by the company to source all its cocoa sustainably over time. Through the Cocoa Life program, the company aims to reach over 200,000 farmers and more than one million people by 2022. • Ferrero Group announced in January 2018 that it has entered a definitive agreement to acquire Nestlé's confectionery business in the United States (U.S.) for US$ 2.8 billion. The company also announced that it will acquire more than 20 chocolate confectionery brands in the US, including BabyRuth®, Butterfinger®, Wonka®, Raisinets® and 100Grand®, and Nestlé's US chocolate confectionery facilities in Bloomington, Illinois, Franklin Park and Itasca, to expand its presence in the US markets on a greater scale. Market dynamics The chocolate confectionery market is gaining momentum as a wide range of chocolate confections are vended through multiple distribution channels, such as supermarkets, grocery stores, hypermarkets, online stores, convenience stores, forecourt retailers, and specialty confectionery stores. The global retail industry is undergoing explosive modernisation with increasing investments in developing markets, such as the chocolate confectionery market. Thereby, lucrative opportunities in the retail industry are acting as a marketing tool for chocolate confectionery market players, enabling them to build a premium brand image and increasing brand exposure to a wide consumer base. This is expected to complement growth of the chocolate confectionery market in the upcoming years. Unique and unusual ingredients Increasing growth of the confectionery industry as well as the chocolate industry is making the chocolate confectionery market an intensely competitive market. Leading players in the chocolate confectionery market are adopting product innovation strategies to introduce unique flavours and ingredients in chocolate confections. Consumers are willing to try new flavours and types of chocolate confections and this is encouraging chocolate confectionery market players to venture beyond the usual flavors and experiment with unusual ingredients, such as fruits, nuts, vegetables, and cereals. Innovation in the variety of ingredients used in chocolate confections, apart from chocolates, is likely to emerge as a popular trend among a majority of players in the chocolate confectionery market in the coming future.
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Coca Cola HBC acquires Serbia’s leading confectionery brand
20 February 2019Coca‑Cola HBC AG has purchased Bambi, Serbia’s leading confectionery business, for an enterprise value of €260 million. Completion of the acquisition is expected in the second quarter of 2019 and is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. “This acquisition represents an excellent opportunity to create additional value for Coca‑Cola HBC, its customers and shareholders,” said Zoran Bogdanovic, CEO of Coca‑Cola HBC. “It adds iconic, complementary consumer brands to our portfolio of leading beverage brands, as well as consumer-focused innovation capabilities. It further strengthens our relevance with customers and allows us to increase our presence in key consumption occasions, such as the start of the day, on the go and at home snacking and refreshment.” Bambi was established in Serbia in 1967 and is a leading regional confectionery business. The company manufactures a range of products including biscuits, wafers and savoury snacks. The company’s brands include Bambi, Plazma, Wellness, Zlatni Pek, and Josh. In 2018, Bambi recorded revenue of approximately €80 million, of which more than two thirds are generated in Serbia and the rest predominantly in the Western Balkans. Bambi enjoys strong profitability and its EBIT margin is nearly three times higher than that of Coca‑Cola HBC.
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Exceptional growth in Brazilian exports
20 February 2019Significant investments have been made in Brazil in recent years. Between 2012 and 2017, companies invested around BRL 2.34 billion (more than USD 630 million) in new factories, the expansion of existing units and in the purchase of state-of-the-art machinery. Brazilian confectionery exports have been achieving exceptional growth as a result of significant investments made by the companies, overcoming difficulties in the international market. From January to November 2018, Brazilian confectionery sales to the foreign market grew 40.5% in volume and 37.5% in value, compared to the same period in 2017. By 2017, the industry's sales abroad had already grown 19.44% in value compared to 2016. "Confectionery companies' investments in new lines, innovation, traceability, and healthier products (much demanded by today's consumer) enabled a higher sophistication of Brazilian products and thus new consumers were reached in new markets and in those where we are traditionally present", said Ubiracy Fonsêca, president of the Brazilian Cocoa Chocalate, Peanut and Candies Manufacturers Association (ABICAB). "The industry is also benefiting from the rebirth of quality cocoa production, which is done sustainably, protecting our forests," adds Mr Fonsêca. Recent awards received by Brazilian companies in international competitions are another indicator that significant investments are generating results. The most recent award was won by Divine Chocolates', that released the chocolate bar FOR FIT with 47% cocoa and whey protein + isolated soy protein (7.5g protein in 25g), winner of the Most Innovative Chocolate Award at Yummex 2018 in October in Dubai. The Brazilian confectionery industry represents $ 8.4 billion in retail value, employs more than 34,000 workers, and is considered one of the major producers in the world.
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Nestlé expands KitKat range
19 February 2019Nestlé expands its range of KitKat Senses and rolls out new Ruby chocolate KitKat. The company has launched two new premium single bars - KitKat Senses Salted Caramel and KitKat Senses Hazelnut – for sale in the UK. Each bar is comprised of three KitKat Senses chocolates – a combination of KitKat chocolate and wafer with a thick layer of salted caramel filling infused with crunchy caramel flakes (Salted Caramel variant) or a layer of praline and crunchy hazelnut pieces (Hazelnut variant). KitKat Senses singles follows the successful launch of KitKat Senses in February last year, individually wrapped KitKat chocolates in a box which, once popped open, can be turned into a sharing platter ideal for dipping into with friends and family. “KitKat Senses received an excellent response from fans in 2018 and meant that there was now the perfect, premium option for sharing KitKat on special occasions,” said Sascha Macchi, KitKat Brand Manager at Nestlé UK. “With KitKat Senses ideal for sharing, we now want to offer these popular indulgent KitKat flavours as a single bar for an individual treat.” Also this month, the Ruby chocolate version of Nestlé’s four finger KitKat will appear in UK retailers, following the successful launch in Tesco last year. The crispy, four-finger wafer bar is coated with Ruby chocolate, derived from Ruby cocoa beans, which has an intense berry-fruitiness taste that occurs naturally without the addition of any flavour or colour. “We were totally overwhelmed by the amazing response to the launch of KitKat with Ruby chocolate last year,” said Macchi. “We are delighted to be able to take this big innovation in confectionery to a wider audience and give more KitKat lovers the chance to discover a different chocolate experience!” The company says that there will be more KitKat news in the coming weeks.
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Mount Franklin Foods announces new state-of-the-art facility
18 February 2019Mount Franklin Foods has begun construction of a new 220,000 square foot state-of-the-art candy manufacturing facility in San Jeronimo in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. "We are pleased to announce the ground breaking of our new San Jeronimo facility which will increase our capacity by 130 million pounds annually," said Gary Ricco, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mount Franklin Foods. "This growth allows us to continue development of exciting new products for our customers and consumers. The new facility is being built to house additional mogul production for soft candy items, such as gummies and jellies.” The factory is due to open in May 2020 and will bring more than 450 new jobs to the area. "Expanding manufacturing capabilities allows us to maintain a competitive edge in the confectionary market," Ricco adds. Mount Franklin Foods, LLC is a North American manufacturer of high-quality confections, nut products and mints headquartered in El Paso, Texas.
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Tate & Lyle announces research project to assess sustainability of stevia sweetener
13 February 2019Tate & Lyle, together with its stevia partner Sweet Green Fields, is pleased to announce a new research project to assess the sustainability of the stevia sweetener supply chain. Tate & Lyle PLC (Tate & Lyle), together with its stevia partner Sweet Green Fields, is pleased to announce a new research project to assess the sustainability of the stevia sweetener supply chain. Earthwatch, an independent, international non-profit environmental science-based organisation, is leading the stevia supply chain review, which aims to identify steps to ensure that as the stevia market grows, sustainable growing practices are embedded consistently and socio-economic benefits are maximised. Tate & Lyle, in partnership with Sweet Green Fields and Earthwatch, will use the research insights to establish and spread sustainability practises across its stevia supply chains and beyond. Stevia is a naturally sourced low calorie sweetener, that is increasingly popular with food and beverage producers looking for consumer-friendly, great-tasting, sugar alternatives that help them to reduce sugar and calories in their products. Much of the world’s stevia supply is grown in China on a mix of small to larger farms, along with the leaf for Tate & Lyle’s stevia ingredients and those produced by its partner, Sweet Green Fields. Earthwatch-led local scientists, have begun conducting on-the-ground research in China to evaluate the socio-environmental impacts of stevia production, including: analysing soil, water, waste, and energy impacts, as well as the effect on farming communities. Earthwatch will engage with a wide range of stakeholders in the stevia supply chain, from seedling producers to family-run planters and industrial farms. Steven Loiselle, Senior Research Manager at Earthwatch, said, "Stevia farming is a key economic activity in many areas in China and a rapidly growing global ingredient for sugar replacement. Our project, working with leading researchers, producers and others, shows how multi-partner collaborations can be used to promote sustainable production. By working with local scientists and experts within China we are developing new knowledge for both Tate & Lyle, the broader stevia industry and local communities.” Abigail Storms, VP Sweetener Platform and Global Platform Marketing at Tate & Lyle, said, “As a leading provider of stevia to the food industry, Tate & Lyle wants to ensure that using stevia in greater quantities in the future as a replacement for sugar is a responsible choice for Tate & Lyle, as well as a healthy choice for consumers around the world. We are proud to be working with our partners Sweet Green Fields and Earthwatch to support sustainable stevia production to ensure that stevia not only improves consumer lives, but also supports sustainable livelihoods and farming practices in the supply chain, with minimal impact on the environment.”
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Bühler continues to grow
07 February 2019Annual Bühler results for 2018 has shown that there has been positive development. Following the acquisition of Haas Group, Bühler has stated that last year saw Haas successfully integrate into the Bühler Group and contribute to Bühler’s success. The Group turnover also increased by 22% to CHF 3.3 billion. In addition to this, Bühler Group has further strengthened its strategic position by establishing a third business pillar, Consumer Foods and its new, most advanced factory in Changzhou, China, is fully operational. To top it all off, construction of its CUBIC innovation campus in Uzwil, Switzerland is nearing completion and in order to drive digitalization, the company entered a partnership with Microsoft. Commenting on the company's success, Bühler CEO Stefan Scheiber said: “We are satisfied with the 2018 overall results. Volumes developed well, but profits were below our objectives. Despite risks such as trade conflicts, we are well positioned with our portfolio and our global organization, and look to the future with confidence." Turnover grew for Grains & Food by 9.2% to CHF 2.2 billion, for Advanced Materials by 5.6% to CHF 705 million, and Haas contributed CHF 373 million. As a result of the Group’s combined organic and acquisitional growth, Bühler increased its order intake by 17% to CHF 3.3 billion and its turnover by 22% to CHF 3.3 billion, which resulted in an order backlog of CHF 1.9 billion (+5.9%). Regionally, Europe (+28%) and Asia (+40%) were the markets showing the strongest turnover growth. Following the successful integration of Haas in 2018, Bühler decided to strengthen its leading position in the consumer foods market with the creation of a new strategic pillar beginning in 2019. With the new Consumer Foods business, the Bühler Group will increase its focus on this important global growth market. From the very beginning, this step generated positive momentum among employees and customers, the group says. “This encouraged us to accelerate the full integration and new setup of our food businesses,” says Bühler CEO Scheiber. Consumer Foods stands from January 2019 alongside Grains & Food and Advanced Materials. Under the leadership of Germar Wacker, Haas achieved CHF 382 million in order intake and CHF 373 million in turnover. This represents the best result in the history of Haas, driven mainly by the Wafer and Biscuit business units according to the annual results. The CUBIC innovation campus in Uzwil is nearing completion. The official inauguration of the fully operational campus is scheduled for spring. The CUBIC combines research and development with seven renewed application centers, which will be available to customers for conducting tests and trial series together with Bühler. To spark further growth, spending on research and development amounted to CHF 145 million (4.4% of turnover). The Group introduced more than 20 digital products, achieved sizable initial turnover, and entered a partnership with Microsoft in April 2018. Currently, customers can choose from a digital portfolio of over 30 digital services. A further 30 will be launched during 2019. In September, another milestone was reached with the launch of the Bühler Insights digital platform – its secure, high-performance, and reliable platform for all of its digital services. Bühler concluded that the group is facing "the future with confidence". The Group is aware of the accelerated changes in this digital age and is keeping a "watchful eye" on the current global developments that bring about a degree of uncertainty. The combined Consumer Foods business is also expected to address new market potential. Bühler is convinced that its opportunities outweigh the risks.
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Love is in the air with Nestlé's Les Recettes de l’Atelier!
06 February 2019Nestlé reveals new Les Recettes de l’Atelier made with Ruby chocolate in time for Valentine’s day Nestlé is introducing a new limited edition Ruby variant of its premium chocolate range, Les Recettes de l’Atelier, just in time for Valentine’s day. The new, pink Les Recettes de l’Atelier bar is Nestlé’s latest innovation in luxury chocolate and is made with chocolate derived from Ruby cocoa beans, which provides an intense berry-fruitiness without the addition of any flavourings or colours. The fruity taste of Ruby chocolate is intensified, in this particular bar, by the addition of raspberries which makes this unique Les Recettes de l’Atelier chocolate a gift for a loved one and a special way to say ‘I love you’. Les Recettes de l’Atelier roughly translates as “recipes of the artisan’s shop” and the range is made with carefully selected, high quality ingredients sourced from around the world. Cat Mews, Les Recettes de l’Atelier Brand Manager, Nestlé UK said: “We are very excited about this special Ruby variant of Les Recettes de L’Atelier. “We know how popular innovative and exciting confectionery is and, following the incredible success of Ruby chocolate, we are delighted to be able to offer this delicious chocolate in a premium bar. Les Recettes de l’Atelier is perfect for that.” The new Les Recettes de l’Atelier made with Ruby chocolate is available exclusively in selected Sainsbury’s stores, alongside the eight flavours already on sale in the Les Recettes de L’Atelier range, including: Dark Chocolate with Blueberries, Almonds & Hazelnuts, Dark Chocolate with Almonds & Cranberries and Dark Chocolate with Salted Caramel. Les Recettes De l’Atelier was launched in Switzerland and France in 2014 and has grown to become Nestlé’s fastest growing confectionery brand in Europe, now sold in more than 15 countries. Ruby chocolate was created by Swiss chocolatier Barry Callebaut after more than a decade of developing the innovative flavour.
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