GfK:sales remain unchanged from previous year

The GfK monitor for the first eight months of 2004 reveals a slight increase in sales volume on the year before and no change in sales value. During the period under review confectionery sales rose by 2.0 % in volume to 923,736 tonnes worth € 5.433 bn (– 0.1 %). Figures for the first half year showed a 1.7 % increase in volume with sales value down by 0.8 % on 2003. Chocolate sales grew between January and August 2004 by 1.3 % in volume up to 315,398 tonnes worth €2.412 bn (+ 0.8 %). Dry baked goods sales totalled 346,274 tonnes (+ 3.6 %) worth € 1.461 bn (+ 1.7 %). Although sugar confectionery sales volume rose 0.7 % up to 208,432 tonnes sales value was down 3.4 % to € 1.052 bn.The product category salty snacks seems to have recovered from the acrylamide scare of last year,with sales up 3.8 % to 127,343 tonnes worth € 614.7 m (+ 3.4 %).