ACROSS the chocolate category, bitesize and sharing formats continue to perform well as consumers favour treat bags and pouches, according to Mars, which says it has been driving growth with sales up 0.3% to a 46.1% share of the category.
Quoting figures from Nielsen, Mars said sharing blocks have also grown by 2% across the category and Galaxy, the number two chocolate brand in the UK, is well equipped to thrive in this area with a strong large block and bitesize portfolio.
The most recent launch for the brand has been announced the launch of Galaxy Swirlers, long fingers of Galaxy chocolate, designed to be dipped into hot drinks and easily breakable so they can be shared with family.
Harris Aslam, director of Fife-based Eros Retail, said: “We are seeing large block and pouches play an increasingly significant role in the confectionery category as more consumers look for better value.
“This means maximising sales of these products is crucial and NPD launches like Galaxy Swirlers are a great way of doing this. We created a display dedicated to Galaxy Swirlers to help create in-store theatre and generate around buzz around the product, which in turn drove impulse purchases.”
Harris is keen to maintain focus on singles. He added: “Consumers are still attracted to the biggest brands so it is important to keep countlines like Mars, Snickers, Twix and Bounty in stock. We have started to promote the Duo variants of these bars which consumers see as offering greater value.”
