Symphony IRIGroup: Price increases compensate for lower sales volume

According to the Symphony IRIGroup confectionery monitor for January and February 2012, confectionery sales in the German retail sector (food retail stores + drugstores + discounters + impulse) were down in value by 0.5% to € 2.246 bn at the start of 2012, while volume dipped 3.8% down to 298,975 tonnes. These figures are a strong indication that suppliers had increased prices.


Sales of dry baked goods were down 2.9% in volume, while sales value grew 1.1% up to € 545.5 m. Sugar confectionery sales remained almost unchanged at € 261.6 m (- 0.1%), whereas sales volume was down 2.4% on the previous year. Chocolate confectionery (not including chilled bars and seasonal) sales volume declined even more, down 4.2%, while sales value slid 0.5% down to € 663.2 m. Surprise items – one of the categories to lose out considerably the previous year – chalked up growth of 17.6%, with sales totalling € 21.7 m. Nevertheless this strong performance failed to compensate for the decline in chocolate tablet sales.


Sales of chocolate snack bars (+ 1.8%), assorted chocolates (+ 3.9%) and speciality chocolates (+ 1.3%) were strong, while liqueur chocolates suffered the steepest decline, dipping 12.5% in value (€ 27 m) and 13.5% in volume. Chilled bars performed particularly well, with sales volume up 4.8% to 5,578 tonnes worth € 46.5 m (+ 5.5%). Overall chocolate tablet sales were down 4.4%; larger sized bar sales slid 5.2% in value and 4.3% in volume. Apparently, price increases could not implemented in this product category – chocolate tablet sales volume was down 8.1%, sales value by 4.4%. Smaller sized tablets lost out only slightly.


A glance at sugar confectionery reveals that sales of chocolate marshmallows – weak the previous year – recovered, achieving growth of 3.4% up to € 13.6 m, thus compensating for poorer performances by other products. Sales of dry baked goods were up across the board. Most rapid growth was confirmed for sales of salty snacks, up 1.5% to € 321.3 m. Christmas and Easter seasonal sales were well below those of the previous year, down 6.3% in volume and 2.1% in value.

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