Consumer confidence is on the rise and confectionery sales are growing according to chocolate brands giant Mars.
It says that in the last six months its chocolate bags have shown growth in part as a result of its activity on its range of £1 Treatbags and the M&M’s Pouch.
And it says it has five of the top 10 singles chocolate brands in independent stores including Twix, Mars and Snickers.
Mars sees in-home sharing as one of the reasons for the success of bags.
Trade communications manager Bep Dhaliwal said: “In-home sharing has become a huge area of growth in recent years with in-home chocolate occasions growing by 20% since 2009.
“As sharing moments in the home continue as a trend, the bitesize category has grown by 22% and is now worth £589m to the industry.”
She added that Mars is the market leader in the bitesize category with a 47% share and has four of the top five bitesize brands. The firm sees PMPs as another factor influencing sales growth. It says research show 68% of shoppers see PMPs as a good deal and PMPs account for 60% of sales in independent stores.
It also considers brand extensions as key, saying consumers are increasingly keen to try new versions of established brands.
