Nielsen monitor: sales grow slightly

Up to and including calendar week 35, an average price increase of 1.2% entailed an increase in turnover of 1.9% to € 8.893 bn (basis: food retailers + drug stores + impulse channels + gas station shops + department stores). Increases in sales were posted across all segments: salty snacks (+ 4.4%), chocolate products (+ 1.7%), baked goods (+ 1.2%) and sugar confectionery (+ 0.3%).

As the best-selling category, chocolate products were up 3.2% in pricing compared with last year‘s level. Chocolate bars, praline-like products and chocolate tablets larger than 100 g had a marked effect on the turnover development. In contrast, the sugar confectionery price level took a slight dip (- 1.0%). The key subsegments – fruit and wine gums, cough lozenges and chewing gum – experienced a drop in sales. Chewable candies and liquorice performed well.

As for the salty snacks category, premium nuts, snack specialities and peanut kernels rose sharply, with premium nuts being the most eminent sales driver while potato chips suffered a loss of sales. In the salty snacks segment, the price level went up only slightly (+ 0.4%). In the baked goods product group, the segments sandwiched biscuits, other baked goods with chocolate and wafers without chocolate were up while other baked goods without chocolate fell below last year‘s level.

The distribution channels consumer markets, discounters, drug stores and department stores posted increases in turnover. Confectionery sales in supermarkets, gas station shops and impulse channels went down until calendar week 35.