All kinds of pleasant things in their bag

Renewed popularity of the red Santa Claus bags is not only due to the prevalent “retro” trend. Sales of branded, premium chocolates will be supported by spectacular POS tools. Several interesting trends can be detected from Nielsen data about sales of seasonal sweets last December. Sales were not quite as hyper market focused last year as in preceding years, whereas both discount stores and 201–400 square meter stores increased their market share. The popularity of more expensive gift packages declined, while sales of cheaper Santa Claus packages accounted for a quarter of the seasonal market. According to Panna Miklós, brand manager of Nestlé Hungária Kft., it is no wonder that the dynamic market expansion seen in previous years has finally come to an end, especially if we take into consideration the reduction in purchasing power. Apart from convenience related considerations, another aspect is pointed out to us by Imre Horváth, general director of Sweet Point Zrt: – The very bad quality of chocolate figures seen in earlier years also contributed to the popularity of Santa Claus packages, as substitutes. According to data from Nielsen, sales of figures made from black chocolate more than doubled last year. One out of two figures sold were still made from nougat. – Though nougat still held a strong position last Christmas, we have seen a spectacular shift towards milk chocolate and branded products since then, especially during Easter. We also expect black chocolate to continue gaining in popularity – says Panna Miklós. Bonbonetti introduced its 60 gram, high cocoa content Tibi Santa Claus last season – says Mrs. Halászné, Ilona Boldizsár, brand manager of Bonbonetti Kft. Modernising graphical design is the most frequently used form of innovation among chocolate figures. Bonbonetti is an exception to this rule, as not only the appearance of Tibi chocolate figures, but their recipe has also been altered. – Apart from seasonal Tibi products, the Disney calendar is a new product for this year’s season – adds Mrs. Halászné Ilona Boldizsár. It is made from real milk chocolate and comes in four versions. The 100 gram Boci Santa Claus product line was the major innovation seen from Nestlé last year. – Our most exciting new product for this Christmas is the Smarties baking set which will allow families to engage in a productive activity together – says Panna Miklós. The Christmas assortment of Kraft Foods will appear under the Milka umbrella brand. According to Zoltán Kepe, senior brand manager, they do not intend to rely exclusively on the strength of the Milka image: – When consumers see creativity in a product, with something new compared to other products, they are more likely to buy it as a gift. We will have several innovative products in this year’s Christmas assortment, including an Advent calendar for adults. – Branding is important for chocolate figures, but names are not everything. – emphasises Imre Horváth. – Any criteria may be equally important for consumers, this is why we have to pay attention to all details. The ideal in store placement of seasonal sweets is essential to the success of Christmas sales campaigns. Apart from displays, combined POS tools are becoming increasingly popular and will be employed by all the major brands this year.