IRI monitor: first quarter at previous year’s level

According to the unscheduled IRI confectionery monitor for the time period from January through the end of March, sales increased by 0.3% up to € 3.203 bn. The sales quantity increased by 0.6% up to 443,347 tonnes (basis: food retailers + drug stores + hard discounters + gas station shops).

Severe losses were suffered by suppliers of chocolate products (without season) with revenues declining by 3.7% down to € 1.389 bn and a sales volume decline of 3.2% down to 143,294 tonnes. The chocolate tablet segment achieved approximately the value of the previous year (+ 0.1%), while pralines stood at 9.2% below the target.

Growth in the second-strongest category, salty snacks, remained uninterrupted. According to the IRI market research calculations, revenues in this category climbed 7.0% up to € 741 m, with sales volume rising by 4.3% up to 96,247 tonnes. The sales value with pastry & cake rose by 2.7% up to € 554.5 m with sales volume of 108,680 tonnes (+ 2.5%), driven in particular by the sub-segment pastry (value + 3.9%; volume + 3.8%).

Sugar confectionery remained only slightly below the previous year’s level with earnings of € 518.5 m (- 0.2%), while sales volume rose by 0.7% up to 95,126 tonnes. The chewing gum product group began the year with revenue growth of 4.0% up to € 125.5 m and a sales volume increase of 1.0% up to 88.135 million units.