Market of sweets, especially chocolate expanding

Double digit growth took place in the market of chocolate, both in terms of value and quantity in the October 2007-September 2008 period, compared to the preceding year. Sweet biscuit, wafer biscuit and chewing gum also produced expansion. Total annual sales of chocolate have approached HUF 70 billion. Sales were up by 21 percent in terms of value for countline chocolate and by 18 percent for tablet chocolate, with a 16 percent increase for praline in the above period. Bigger than 400 square meter stores accounted for over two-thirds of praline sales and almost two-thirds of tablet chocolates ales. Smaller stores continue to dominate the market of countline chocolate. The market share of private labels is lower than average in the chocolate market, at 11 percent for praline, 10 percent for countline chocolate and 17 percent for tablet chocolate. The market of sweet biscuits totalled nearly HUF 25 billion, while total sales of candies exceeded HUF 20 billion, with private labels accounting for 32 percent of the market in terms of quantity in the above period.