IRI confectionery monitor: robust turnover and sales volume development

Sales volumes in January and February were up 3.1% to 257,742 tonnes (basis: food retailers + drug stores + hard discounters + gas station shops). The market researchers noted a robust development in sales in the top-performing segment, chocolate products (not including seasonal products): € 791.4 m meant an increase of 3.7% over the same period in the previous year, with praline mixes (+ 11.5%), pralines with alcohol (+ 10.7%), cooled bars (+ 7.2%), and 100 g chocolate tablets (+ 6.7%) showing the highest growth rates.

Salty snacks came in second with a sales increase of 4.2% to € 412.4 m. A sales growth of 3.0% to € 315.5 m was chalked up in the sweet pastry & cake category. With € 306.6 m, the sugar confectionery segment finished 1.2% above last year‘s level. As for the chewing gum segment, however, IRI‘s market researchers recorded a slump in sales of 1.4% to € 70.5 m in the first two months of 2016.