Hopping along nicely
With the Easter confectionery market alone generating €32.7 million in sales last year, stocking a varied range will see incremental sales spring up, writes Gillian Hamill.
Print18 February 2013
AT A GLANCE: EASTER
- The Easter market achieved value sales growth of +3%* in 2012 and is now worth €32.7 million**
- 68% of Irish households purchased Easter confectionery in 2012**
- The ‘teen and adult eggs’ market accounts for 65% of all Easter sales and grew by 4% versus 2011*
- Kids Easter egg gifting accounts for 8%* of all value sales at Easter*
- Easter impulse treating across mini eggs and seasonal treats accounted for 11% of sales last year*
- 24% of Easter sales in 2012 came from NPD*
- Nestlé’s Smarties Henhouse and Milkybar Milkybarn were the number three and four best-selling kids’ fun eggs in 2012
- Lily O’Brien’s is the top performing Irish premium chocolate brand, with a consistent 15% market share throughout the year and 19.6% market share during the Easter period (Source: Nielsen, Sales in multiples 2012)
- The Lindt Gold Bunny is the number one novelty in the Irish market
- Shloer is Ireland’s biggest-selling adult soft drinks brand (Source: Kantar Worldpanel Republic of Ireland, Adult Soft Drinks MAT 25.12.11)
*(Source: Nielsen Total Market incl. Dunnes 17 – w/e 22nd April 2012)
** (Source: Kantar – 20 w/e 13th May 2012)
Easter continues to be a key season for confectionery and other seasonal treats. Despite being two weeks shorter in 2012 versus the 2011 season, the Easter confectionery market exhibited a strong performance, achieving value sales growth of +3%, according to statistics provided by Nestlé.
The Cuisine de France Easter Treats secondary display unit will help drive incremental sales
Maximising in-store bakery sales
The Easter trading period has emerged as one of the biggest seasonal events of the year. Over recent years, consumers’ appetite for Easter-themed products and traditional baked goods has dramatically increased. Cuisine de France believes the key to successfully delivering incremental sales to your in-store bakery category this Easter is providing consumers with a mix of Easter classics, such as its moreish Hot Cross Bun and the Lemon & White Chocolate Muffin, as well as some new contenders for the title of family favourite, such as the Chocolate Fantasy Danish.
The Cuisine de France Easter Treats secondary display unit is an ideal medium to drive incremental sales and makes it easy for retailers to get into the spirit of the occasion and create a themed zone in-store. To order an Easter treats stand, contact your local category sales specialist or Cuisine de France telesales on 1850 777 000.
Ireland’s premier premium brand
Lily O’Brien’s is the country’s top performing Irish premium chocolate brand, with a consistent 15% market share throughout the year and 19.6% market share during the Easter period (Source: Nielsen, Sales in multiples 2012). Relaunching its range in 2013 with a fresh repertoire of chocolate recipes, new product formats and stylish packaging design, Lily O’Brien’s believes its products look and taste better than ever.
Having engaged in 14 months of intensive consumer research, redesign and evolution, the new range is available now nationwide through Tennant & Ruttle distribution.
For Easter, the range has also been refreshed and includes new handcrafted Easter egg variants such as the new Zesty Orange Chocolate Egg, along with signature boxed chocolate eggs which have proven sales success over the past number of years. Hampers, bunnies and gift collections complete the range for Easter 2013. Lily O’Brien’s chocolates contain no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives. The brand is a proud member of the Love Irish Food campaign.
Swiss finesse
Lindt, the Swiss Master Chocolatier, has an extensive Easter range. This includes the Lindt Lindor Filled Egg, a 28g milk chocolate egg with a smooth melting filling. Aimed at fans of the Lindt Lindor truffles, the brand believes consumers are sure to enjoy the Lindor Filled Egg; the perfect treat that’s ideal for Easter egg hunts.
A firm favourite with Lindt fans, the Lindt Gold Bunny is the number one novelty in the Irish market, and is now an iconic Easter product. The Lindt Gold Bunny range is available in 50g, 100g, 200g and 500g sizes and even in 1kg.
The Lindt ‘Make Easter Sweet for Temple Street’ campaign is back with a bang for its sixth year. Once again, the Lindt Gold Bunny Roadshow will arrive in selected shopping centres in Ireland in the run up to Easter to raise much needed funds for Temple Street Children’s University Hospital.
Following the success of the inaugural Lindt Gold Bunny Auction in 2012, this great addition to the Lindt ‘Make Easter Sweet for Temple Street’ campaign will return once again and create another talking point around the Lindt brand. Gold plated Lindt Bunnies autographed by well-known Irish and International personalities will be auctioned on the Lindt Chocolate Ireland Facebook page coming up to Easter. Last year, gold plated Lindt Gold Bunnies were signed by top celebrity names such as Rory McIllroy, Colin Farrell, Michael Bublé, Roger Federer and many more and raised an additional €10,000 for Temple Street.
The campaign will involve strong publicity from start to finish and consumers will be heading to the Lindt Ireland Facebook page www.facebook.com/lindtchocolateireland and following @Lindt_IRL on Twitter to receive regular updates.
Innovation at heart of Nestlé’s Easter offering
Nestlé Confectionery’s range for 2013 aims to delight consumers with an innovative range from its market leading brands. The brand’s portfolio offers a wide variety of chocolate treats, plus a strong focus on no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives as well as sustainability credentials.
In Easter impulse treating for 2013, Nestlé has launched the new Milkybar Bunny – the only white chocolate seasonal impulse offering available. Smarties Little Choc Chick, filled with mini Smarties also returns following a highly successful launch in 2012, as does the Aero Lamb – this time as a milk chocolate offering. Smarties and Milkybar mini eggs bags also provide permissible sharing treats.
2013 sees the return, due to popular demand, of a large egg from the number one after dinner mint brand, After Eight. The After Eight Insider Egg (i.e. an egg with treats inside) is mint flavoured dark chocolate with a bag of After Eight chocolates inside. It will be joined once again by the Quality Street Insider Egg. New this Easter, is the Rowntree’s Randoms Insider Egg, while the Aero Bubbles Peppermint Insider Egg completes the range.
Nestlé will be introducing two new collection eggs into the ‘giant egg’ category in 2013; the Kit Kat Chunky Giant Egg and new Aero Selection Giant Egg. The Nestlé Caramel Collection Giant Egg features a large hollow milk chocolate egg together with a selection of Nestlé’s well-loved caramel brands such as Rolo and Munchies. New for 2013 is the After Eight Premium Egg which comes with a 300g box of After Eights.
Tapping into the trend towards nostalgia is the Yorkie Digger egg. The pack contains a hollow milk chocolate egg and two Yorkie Milk bars in a digger presentation box. The Lion Bar Egg has 3D award-winning packaging that brings the iconic brand to life. These two retro eggs are joined by Easter classics – three best-selling mug eggs – the Kit Kat Chunky Mug Egg, Yorkie Milk Mug Egg and Munchies Mug Egg.
For kids, Nestlé offers the Smarties Chicken and Milkybar Cow, alongside the Smarties Henhouse and Milkybar Milkybarn as well as a Milkybar small egg.
Shloer makes Easter sales sparkle
"Easter represents a major opportunity for retailers to generate incremental sales, which goes way beyond stocking up on Easter eggs," says Amanda Grabham, head of brand marketing, Shloer, Ireland’s biggest-selling adult soft drinks brand*, which is distributed by SHS Sales & Marketing.
"The extended holiday weekend makes it a key event for friends and families to get together – often for Sunday lunch on Easter Sunday – exactly the sort of social occasion when Shloer really comes into its own," adds Grabham.
"Every Easter produces a significant sales surge for Shloer. Being grape-based, Shloer is a perfect alternative to alcohol. It provides a more sophisticated and interesting alternative to other soft drinks such as fruit juice, colas or water, and it brings an element of sparkle and adds to the sense of occasion for those who aren’t drinking alcohol such as mums-to-be."
Grabham is urging retailers to stock up on Shloer this Easter to ensure they are able to meet the seasonal uplift in sales, and to look out for special price promotions and deals which will be running across the Shloer range during March and April.
Stockists can also highlight the promotions in-store by ordering free POS items from the Shloer POS Hotline +44 (0)800 917 3450.
Shloer’s Easter promotional support kicks off a €18.5 million marketing investment.
Further activity will include the spring launch of a brand new Shloer Limited Edition Raspberry & Rhubarb Punch, which will replace the Shloer Berry Punch Limited Edition which has been available during the autumn and winter months.
Grabham says: "The limited editions are proving to be extremely popular with consumers who are keen to try new flavour combinations."
*(Source: Kantar Worldpanel Republic of Ireland, Adult Soft Drinks MAT 25.12.11)
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