What has happened to last year’s chocolate rabbit?
Usually seasonal confectionery manufacturers make plans based on what happened “in the same period last year”. This year this strategy won’t work, as back at Easter 2022 the inflation hardly began, while there is a double-digit inflation at the moment.
Volume growth seen last year is sure to remain unrepeated in 2023
Lilla Kelemen, brand manager of Nestlé Hungária Kft.:
Lilla Kelemen
brand manager
Nestlé Hungária
“The effects of recession could already be felt strongly before Christmas 2022, so what we can expect in seasonal chocolate sales at Easter 2023 is a value sales increase caused by higher products prices.”
Nikolett Jantász
junior márkamenedzser
Mondelēz Hungária
Nikolett Jantász, Mondelez Hungária Kft.’s junior brand manager – pralines and seasonal (Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia):
“Among the most successful products we find both small and big ones. Hollow chocolate figures, eggs and filled eggs, plus various selections have all realised sales growth.”
More, less
Although the net incomes of Hungarian consumers have grown considerably in recent years, the rate of the inflation was even bigger, so purchasing power parity decreased significantly. Shoppers can buy much less while spending more money. In stores fewer types of products are available, and in smaller quantities than before.
Pál Molnár, sales manager of Szerencsi Bonbon Kft.:
Pál Molnár
sales manager
Szerencsi Bonbon
“We must also accept the fact that fewer and fewer families follow the traditions. Many families go on an excursion or spend the Easter long weekend somewhere.”
Still, the value of Easter gifts purchased per person keeps increasing.
The value of Easter gifts bought per person is on the rise
New innovations everywhere
The Easter of 2022 brought good results for Nestlé, as sales grew in every segment for every brand. KITKAT performed exceptionally well, producing a double-digit sales growth in value, with chocolate rabbits being the most popular. KITKAT filled chocolates are gluten-free, so they can reach a bigger target group. This year’s new innovations include KITKAT Easter eggs, while SMARTIES will surprise shoppers with bags of sweets. BOCI’s Easter portfolio got a brand new look and some new products.
Today, discount is the no.1 channel for shoppers buying Easter sweets
The egg hunt is on!
Last year Easter chocolate figure sales grew above the market average for Mondelez. From hollow chocolate figures rabbits and eggs performed the best, while among gift selections those containing plush figures were the most popular. This year Mondelez will appear on stores shelves with a special new product: Egg’cellent is a filled chocolate egg, which looks like a real egg when cut in half. The company will also launch an Oreo rabbit selection in the sweets bag segment. In Milka’s offering shoppers find everything they need for an Easter egg hunt: they can buy various types of chocolate eggs separately, but there is also a Milka egg hunt pack available.
Rabbits in spring clothes
Last year the best-selling Easter products were 40% milk chocolate Easter rabbits for Szerencsi, together with the product’s diabetic variant. Szerencsi’s dragée eggs, jelly-filled half eggs and egg figures followed in the popularity ranking. For 2023 the company gave products a new graphic design, with the exception of rabbits that will get a new look in 2024. Szerencsi Tapsi products will be waiting for shoppers on store shelves in pastel colours. In the same range there is also a new innovation, called Tapsi 127g, with 3 types of cream filling (strawberry, hazelnut and eggnog). //
Chocolate rabbits and eggs are still our favourites
Demand rose sharply for Easter confectioneries in the March-April 2022 period: like-for-like value sales jumped more than 30% and represented a value of HUF 7bn.
Guest writer:
Nóra Gubek
client support executive
NielsenIQ
Volume sales increased by 24%, as shoppers purchased 1,000 tonnes of Easter sweets in this 2-month period. Average prices were up 7 percent at HUF 6,600/kg. Manufacturer brands realised 80% of value sales, and their sales grew by 30% in value and 19% in volume. However, private label sales developed even faster, by 42% in value and 32% in volume.
Shopper demand was the biggest for chocolate rabbits, realising almost 50% of value sales and 44% of volume sales in the category. Chocolate eggs were the second most popular, with one third of the market in value and 40% in volume. 90% of the money spent on Easter confectioneries went to milk chocolate products – value sales grew by 30% and volume sales rose 20%. Dark chocolate products had a 6% share in value sales, but their sales performance definitely improved: value sales surged by 60% and volume sales soared by nearly 50%. //
New managing director for Mondelez Hungária
Grzegorz Lis
managing director
Mondelēz Hungária
From January 2023 Grzegorz Lis fills the managing director position at Mondelez Hungária, the manufacturer of Milka products, Sport chocolate bars and Győri Édes biscuits. The Polish manager joined one of the world’s biggest snack companies two years ago. He has more than 20 years of experience in the FMCG sector. //
This article is available for reading in Trade magazin 2023.2-3.
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