The $20 billion U.S. chocolate industry is a mature, differentiated and demanding food category—making it a challenge for marketers of chocolate products seeking to distinguish themselves from the competition. From this perspective, Chocolate Candy in the U.S. examines the current state of the industry and where the growth will be over the next five years. While the country remains challenged by economic doldrums, chocolate in the near term will continue to outpace overall food market growth. Factors spurring continued dollar gains in the chocolate market include:
- The success and increasingly widespread acceptance of premium chocolates, spurred both by consumers’ desire to indulge in this “affordable luxury” and by the influence of foodie culture
- Growth of chocolate retailers, both through franchise expansion and by successful independent shops looking to expand their footprints
- Continued innovation in packaging and flavors by major and niche chocolate manufactures alike
- Increased marketing support and advertising expenditures
- Rising prices at retail, driven in part by higher input costs
Chocolate Candy in the U.S. measures the size and analyzes the growth factors for the U.S. chocolate market based upon primary and secondary research, including chocolate product shopper insights from Packaged Facts’ online consumer panel as well as SymphonyIRI data for mass-market channels, SPINSscan data for natural and gourmet grocers, and national consumer survey data from Experian Simmons.
This report will help:
- Marketing managers identify market opportunities and develop targeted promotion plans for chocolate
- Research and development professionals stay on top of competitor initiatives and explore demand for products by type
- Advertising agencies working with clients in the food industry understand the product buyer to develop messages and images that spur consumer purchase
- Business development executives understand the dynamics of the market and identify possible partnerships
- Information and research center librarians provide market researchers, brand and product managers and other colleagues with the vital information they need to do achieve their goals more efficiently
- Chapter 1: Executive Summary
- Scope of Report
- Report Methodology
- Chocolate Candy Resilient Despite Economy, Material Costs
- Table 1-1: U.S. Sales of Chocolate Candy, 2007-2011 (in millions of dollars)
- Grocery at 16% Share
- Table 1-2: Share of U.S. Sales of Chocolate Candy by Channel, 2011 (percent)
- Chocolate Candy Is Bought Everywhere
- Table 1-3: Consumers’ Response to Question About Chocolate Purchases: Where do you usually buy chocolate candy? (Please check all that apply), 2012
- SymphonyIRI-tracked Sales Show Solid Dollar Growth
- Table 1-4: SymphonyIRI-Tracked Sales of Chocolate Candy: Overall and by Segment, 2011
- Premium Chocolate Is Integral to Mass-Market Growth
- Table 1-5: SymphonyIRI-Tracked Sales of Chocolate Candy: By Premium Segment, 2011 (in millions)
- Natural Foods Channel and Organic Chocolate
- Table 1-6: SPINSscan-Tracked Sales of Chocolate Candy in Natural Supermarket Channel, 2010-2011
- Table 1-7: SPINSscan-TrackedSales of Chocolate Candy in Specialty Gourmet Channel, 2010-2011
- Chocolate Maintains a Top 10 Position in Food
- Table 1-8: Selected Mass-Market Food and Beverage Categories: SymponyIRI-Tracked Sales and Percent Change by Category, 2011
- Chocolate Makers Continue to Capitalize on Health Benefits
- Fair Trade Chocolate Gains Ground
- Cost of Raw Materials Rise
- Premium Moves Mainstream
- Packaging Trends: Pouches, Bigger Sizes, New Labeling
- Low-Calorie and Other Ingredient Trends
- More Chocolate Sales on the Horizon
- Table 1-9: Projected U.S. Sales of Chocolate Candy, 2012-2016 (in millions of dollars)
- The Competitive Landscape
- Chocolate’s Overall Usage Sees Big Jump
- Table 1-10: Chocolate Candy Usage by Gender, 2011
- Brand Preferences
- Packaged Facts Survey Data on Chocolate Gifting
- Table 1-11: Consumers’ Response to Question About Gift Box Chocolate Recipients: In the last 12 months, to how many people (other than yourself) have you given boxed/gift-packaged chocolate candy?
- Chapter 2: Market Trends
- Chocolate Candy Sales Rise to $19.5 billion
- Table 2-1: U.S. Sales of Chocolate Candy, 2007-2011 (in millions of dollars)
- A Multi-Channel Champion
- Table 2-2: Share of U.S. Sales of Chocolate Candy by Channel, 2011 (percent)
- Chocolate Is Bought Everywhere
- Table 2-3: Consumers’ Response to Question About Chocolate Purchases: Where do you usually buy chocolate candy? (Please check all that apply)
- SymphonyIRI-tracked Sales Show Solid Dollar Growth
- Table 2-4: SymphonyIRI-Tracked Sales of Chocolate Candy: Overall and by Segment, 2011
- Premium Defined
- Table 2-5: Premium Chocolate Candy Segments by Price ($/ounce & $/pound)
- Premium Chocolate Is Integral to Mass-Market Growth
- Table 2-6: SymphonyIRI-Tracked Sales of Chocolate Candy: By Premium Segment, 2011 (in millions)
- Convenience Stores Boost Chocolate Sales
- Natural Foods Channel and Organic Chocolate
- Table 2-7: SPINSscan-Tracked Sales of Chocolate Candy in Natural Supermarket Channel, 2010-2011
- Specialty Gourmet Channel Sees Sales Increases
- Table 2-8: SPINSscan-Tracked Sales of Chocolate Candy in Specialty Gourmet Channel, 2010-2011
- Vending a Key Impulse Channel
- Local Chocolatiers Continue to Thrive, Innovate
- Chocolate Maintains a Top 10 Position in Food
- Table 2-9: Selected Mass-Market Food and Beverage Categories: SymponyIRI-Tracked Sales and Percent Change by Category, 2011
- Market Dynamics
- Chocolate Makers Continue to Capitalize on Health Benefits
- Fair Trade Shows Big Jump
- Cause Marketing Important to Chocolate Makers
- Cost of Raw Materials Rise
- Premium Moves Mainstream
- Table 2-10: Premium Chocolate Candy: Percent of Total Annual Pounds of Chocolate Consumed Per Capita
- Category Spotlight: Gift-boxed chocolate market
- Table 2-11: Unit Sales and Average Price of Gift-boxed Chocolate Candy, 2010-2011
- Packaging Trends: Pouches and Bigger Sizes Abound
- Stand-up Pouches
- King Size and Sharing Size
- Flavors in the Spotlight
- Aerated chocolate
- Sweet and Salty
- Beer Chocolate
- Other Flavors
- Looking Ahead
- More Chocolate Sales on the Horizon
- Table 2-12: Projected U.S. Sales of Chocolate Candy, 2012-2016 (in millions of dollars)
- Chapter 3: The Competitive Landscape
- Leading Global Chocolate Companies
- Table 3-1: Top Global Chocolate Confectioners, 2012
- Market Share Concentrated Among a Select Few
- Table 3-2: Top Marketers of Chocolate Candy at Food, Drug and Mass Merchandisers, 2011
- Hershey, Mars Control the <3.5-oz Category
- Table 3-3: Top Marketers of Chocolate Candy: Box/Bag/Bars <3.5-oz, 2011
- Table 3-4: Fast-Growing Chocolate Candy Brand Lines: Box/Bag/Bars <3.5-oz, 2011
- Wealth More Spread Out in the >3.5-oz Category
- Table 3-5: Top Marketers of Chocolate Candy: Box/Bag/Bars >3.5-oz, 2011
- Table 3-6: Fast-Growing Chocolate Candy: Box/Bag/Bars >3.5-oz, 2011
- Only Three Big Snack Size Competitors
- Table 3-7: Top Marketers of Chocolate Candy: Snack Size, 2011
- Table 3-8: Fast-Growing Chocolate Candy Brand Lines: Snack Size, 2011
- Russell Stover Leads in Gift Boxes
- Table 3-9: Top Marketers of Chocolate Candy: Gift Boxes, 2011
- Table 3-10: Fast-Growing Chocolate Candy Brand Lines: Gift Boxes, 2011
- Candyrific/M&M’s Biggest in Smallest Category
- Table 3-11: Top Marketers of Novelty Chocolate Candy, 2011
- Table 3-12: Fast-Growing Chocolate Candy Brand Lines: Novelty Chocolates, 2011
- Several Strong Performers in Christmas Seasonal Chocolate
- Table 3-13: Top Marketers of Seasonal Chocolate Candy: Christmas, 2011
- Table 3-14: Fast-Growing Seasonal Chocolate Candy Brand Lines: Christmas, 2011
- Hershey’s Commitment to Easter Egg Basket
- Table 3-15: Top Marketers of Seasonal Chocolate Candy: Easter, 2012
- Table 3-16: Fast-Growing Seasonal Chocolate Candy Brand Lines: Easter, 2012
- Big Brands Dominate Seasonal Halloween Chocolate
- Table 3-17: Top Marketers of Seasonal Chocolate Candy: Halloween, 2011
- Table 3-18: Fast-Growing Seasonal Chocolate Candy Brand Lines: Halloween, 2011
- Russell Stover Candies Takes the Lead
- Table 3-19: Top Marketers of Seasonal Chocolate Candy: Valentine’s Day, 2012
- Table 3-20: Fast-Growing Seasonal Chocolate Candy Brand Lines: Valentine’s Day, 2012
- Godiva Makes a Move in Other Seasonal Chocolate
- Table 3-21: Top Marketers of All Other Seasonal Chocolate Candy, 2011
- Table 3-22: Fast-Growing Seasonal Chocolate Candy Brand Lines: All Other, 2011
- Russell Stover Controls Sugar-Free
- Table 3-23: Top Marketers of Sugar-Free Chocolate Candy, 2011
- Table 3-24: Fast-Growing Chocolate Candy Brand Lines: Sugar-Free, 2011
- Private Label Is a Minor Player
- Table 3-25: Private Label Chocolate Candy, 2011
- Chapter 4: Marketer Profiles
- The Hershey Company
- Table 4-1: Selected Financial Data for The Hershey Company (in $000s), 2006-2011
- Table 4-2: Advertising Expenditures for The Hershey Company (in $000s), 2006-2011
- 2011 Hershey’s Promotional Calendar
- 2012 Hershey’s Promotional Calendar
- Hershey’s Customer Base
- Table 4-3 Hershey’s Sales Channels, 2011
- Products
- New Products - 2011 and 2012
- Mars Inc.
- Products
- Marketing
- Six Flags Partnership
- Russell Stover Candies Inc.
- New Products
- Marketing
- Nestlé SA
- New Products - 2011 and 2012
- Lindt & Sprüngli (Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Sprüngli AG)
- Products
- Marketing
- Ferrero U.S.A. Inc.
- See’s Candies
- Godiva Chocolatier (Yildiz Holding AS)
- New Products
- Marketing
- Tootsie Roll Industries Inc.
- New Products
- Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory
- Products
- Chapter 5: The Consumer
- Note on Experian Simmons and Packaged Facts Surveys
- Chocolate’s Overall Usage Jumps Up
- Table 5-1: Chocolate Candy Usage, 2004-2011 (Number in Thousands & Percent)
- Do Women Really Like Chocolate More?
- Table 5-2: Chocolate Usage by Gender, 2011
- Location Preferences: Chocolate, Chocolate Everywhere
- Table 5-3: Consumers’ Response to Question About Chocolate Purchases: Where do you usually buy chocolate candy?
- Table 5-4: Consumers’ Response to Question About Chocolate Purchases: From what parts of the store do you usually buy chocolate candy?
- Brand Preferences
- Table 5-5: Chocolate Candy Brand Consumption Trends, 2007-2011
- Table 5-6: Consumers’ Response to Question About Chocolate Brands: Have you purchased any of the following brands of candy in the last 12 months?
- Consumer Demographics
- Table 5-7: Demographics of Chocolate Candy Consumers by Mass-Market Brand, 2011 (Index)
- Table 5-8: Demographics of Chocolate Candy Consumers by Premium Brand, 2011 (Index)
- Packaged Facts survey studies chocolate gifting
- Table 5-9: Consumers’ Response to Question About Gift Box Chocolate Occasions: In the last 12 months, for what occasions have you purchased boxed/gift-packaged chocolate candy?
- Table 5-10: Consumers’ Response to Question About Gift Box Chocolate Recipients: In the last 12 months, for whom (other than yourself) have you purchased boxed/gift-packaged chocolate candy?
- Table 5-11: Consumers’ Response to Question About Gift Box Chocolate Recipients: In the last 12 months, to how many people (other than yourself) have you given boxed/gift-packaged chocolate candy?
- Table 5-12: Consumers’ Response to Question About Gift Box Chocolate Spending: For a single gift, how much do you typically spend on boxed/gift-packaged chocolate candy?
- Consumer Psychographics
- Table 5-13: Psychographics of Chocolate Candy Consumers by Mass-Market Brand, 2011 (Index)
- Table 5-14: Psychographics of Chocolate Candy Consumers by Premium Brand, 2011 (Index)
- Hershey’s Consumer Segmentation
- Organic Chocolate
- Table 5-15: Organic Product Usage, 2011
- Table 5-16: Demographics of Organic Chocolate Candy Consumers, 2011 (Index)