NielsenIQ confectionery monitor: increased revenues in every category throughout 2021

According to the latest confectionery monitor, German retail sector revenues rose by 3.4% up to € 15.7 bn, while experiencing a mild decline in sales volume of 0.6% down to 1.850 m tonnes (basis: grocery retail + drug stores; YTD – week through January 2^nd, 2022).

The salty snacks category underwent the greatest revenue growth at 4.6% up to € 3.8 bn (sales volume: + 2.0%; 460,300 t). Double-digit revenue growth was registered for the following subsegments: snack specialties (+ 15.2%), rice cakes (+ 14.3%), and tortillas (+ 13.3%). According to NielsenIQ, chocolate products also enjoyed above-average revenue growth of 4.3% up to € 7.4 bn (sales volume: - 0.2%; 668,600 t). The primary growth engines here were remaining bars (+ 12.1%), praline-like products (+ 8.6%), chocolate specialties (+ 7.4%), and chocolate snack articles (+ 7.0%).

The sweet baked goods category came in at slightly above the level of the previous year with a revenue increase of 0.8% up to € 2.2 bn (sales volume: - 4.4%; 367,200 t). The strongest growth was seen in these subsegments: miscellaneous (+ 11.4 %), other baked goods without chocolate (+ 10.6%), other baked goods with chocolate (+ 6.9%), and wafers without chocolate (+ 6.2%). In the sugar confectionery category, NielsenIQ noted a revenue increase of 1.1% up to € 2.3 bn (sales volume: - 0.8%; 353,900 t), with the big winners consisting of foam sugar products (+ 15.4%), miscellaneous (+ 10.8%), jelly products (+ 9.7%), and fruit and wine gums (+ 7.4%).

Here’s a look at 2021 confectionery revenues in the individual sales channels: drug stores (+ 8.4%), small consumer markets (+ 6.1%), large consumer markets (+ 6.0 %), discounters overall (+ 1.1%), and large supermarkets (+ 0.6%) all exceeded the levels of 2020. Confectionery sales only declined among small supermarkets (- 5.2%).