UK shoppers are Europe’s top chocolate buyers

November 1, 2009

British shoppers spend more on chocolate than any other country in Europe, according to new research from Mintel.

The research company’s Global Market Navigator (GMN), a database of market data for consumer industries across the world, reveals the UK consumed £3.5bn worth of chocolate last year.

Only Germany, with over 20 million more people, came close to the UK, spending £3.4bn in 2008. Mintel’s GMN shows British shoppers spent £57 per head of population on chocolate in 2008. Only Switzerland spends more on chocolate at £111 per head of population in 2008, with Belgium (£48 per head) and Germany (£41 per head) trailing the UK.

Even a global recession has not reduced the British enthusiasm for chocolate. The UK market grew by 7.4% in 2007 and it still managed to achieve 4% growth in 2008 despite tough economic conditions. Mintel GMN forecasts continued expansion of 5.8% in 2009 and predicts year-on-year increases of 5% until 2013, when the market will be valued at £4.4bn.

Steve Charlton, managing director Mintel GMN, said: "These figures demonstrate the British love of chocolate remains as strong as ever. The fact that we buy more chocolate than any other European country, despite recessionary pressure and our comparative lack in size, shows where the priorities of sweet-toothed Brits lie."

There is also clear segmentation in the UK. Count line products are the largest sector accounting for 34.1% of the market at a value of nearly £1.2bn.

Boxes of assorted chocolate make up 22.7% of sales while seasonal bursts of novelty chocolates around Christmas and Easter represent 12.9% of the market with a value of £451m.

When it comes to global innovation, Europe leads the way. Indeed, in the first six months of the year, almost four in 10 (38%) new chocolate products were launched in Europe. Premium products have been particularly popular and highlighting the provenance of the chocolate is a key trend.

“The trend towards good quality produce is reflective of European consumers' interest in the sourcing and provenance of ingredients. In fact, in the last six months alone almost three quarters of all new organic products and over half of all new Fairtrade products have been launched in this region,” adds Charlton.

New product development isn’t suffering in the current economic climate. Mintel's Global New Products Database reveals new chocolate product launches in the UK are up from 345 in 2007 to 439 in 2008.

Germany is the most active region in terms of new product development, accounting for a quarter of all European launches followed by Austria with 12% and the UK with 8%.

However, it would appear the UK is developing a healthier appetite when it comes to chocolate confectionary. Reduced sugar chocolate launches rose from just six in 2007 to 26 in 2008, gluten free chocolate launches from 13 in 2007 to 40 in 2008 and additive free chocolate from 22 in 2007 to 46 launches in 2008.

There is even a chocolate bar on sale in the UK, which helps purchasers to save trees. Brand Stand’s Organic Meltdown chocolate gives buyers the opportunity to enter a code on a website to tell them about the tree they have saved. The company has teamed up with The World Land Trust and, for every bar sold, a tree is saved in an Ecuadorian tropical forest.

Meanwhile, in France, Choco-Lisa Classic Goat Milk Chocolate is claimed to be the first worldwide chocolate made with 100% certified organic goat's milk. And for chocolate with a real difference, two companies in Europe have used an unusual flavour, cheese, to flavour their new products.

In Turkey, Alfred Ritter uses mascarpone cheese, and in Hungary Friesland Foods has added cottage cheese to its Pöttyös range of TúróRudi Milk Chocolate Coated Cottage Cheese Bars.

Finally, for those looking for a portable low calorie treat - new in France from Kraft Foods is Toblerone Crispy 100 Calorie Packs. Six individual sachets of mini milk, chocolate-coated crunchy biscuit with nougat pieces, almonds and honey.

Pottyos coated chocolate-coated cottage cheese bars

Choco-Lisa Classic Goat Milk Chocolate

Organic Meltdown chocolate