The Easter bunny brought sales growth to chocolate figure manufacturers last year

Sales grew again last year, despite that the elevated public health product fee (NETA) and 2 percent higher VAT burdened chocolate rabbits and eggs. Andrea Szabó, junior brand manager of Nestlé Hungária called our attention to the differences between the Easter and the Christmas seasons: in the latter much more substitute products are available on the market, such as honey biscuits, fruit breads, Christmas themed desserts, etc. Ilona Halászné Boldizsár, product manager with Bonbonetti Choco Kft. told our magazine that consumers are increasingly sensitive to prices. Her view is that market contraction and unfavourable trends are likely to continue and the 2013 Easter season is expected to be of base level. According to Ágnes Szűts, marketing executive with Storck Hungária the majority of consumers have heard about the NETA, but the price increase that occurred because of the public health product fee had no effect on buying. Instead it is the general economic conditions that make people pay more attention to what they buy and for how much. Since chocolate figures are usually bought as a present, Storck hopes that people will go with the good old products and brands. Retail channels: hypermarkets realise the biggest sales, followed by discount stores, supermarkets and the stores of domestically owned chains – the latter increased their market share in 2012. Major manufacturers now only use real chocolate for making branded figures. Nestlé Hungária Kft. will come out with new products in the 2013 season. These will be either smaller in size (offering a more cost-effective solution) or in some way special. Just like in the Christmas period, each product will be placed in 1/8 size carton boxes with a red Nestlé Choco Love logo. Bonbonetti, tibi and Disney products keep offering an excellent price/value ratio to customers in the Easter season. Bonbonetti’s experience is that dark chocolate products have an ever bigger share from sales in the Easter season. Storck will usher in the Easter season with rabbit figures made from real merci chocolate; further novelties will include mini merci eggs in a bag. Petits will return for the season in Easter bunny or heart shaped boxes. 4-6 weeks before Easter Storck appears in stores with spectacular secondary displays, despite that 60-70 percent of seasonal products is sold in the last few days.