Sales springing up!

With Kantar data showing shoppers spent €10.8 million more on Easter eggs and seasonal chocolate in a four-week period compared to the same time in 2021, ensuring you stock the right range of both fun and luxurious options will once again deliver dividends in 2023

Brand Central

27 February 2023

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Following the social restrictions during Easter in 2020 and 2021, consumers are keen to make the most of the holiday and mark it with some special family time and premium treats.

This eagerness led to strong sales for retailers across Ireland last year. Despite ongoing inflation concerns, research from Kantar Ireland found that in the 12 weeks to 17 April 2022, Irish consumers spent €10.8 million more on Easter eggs and seasonal chocolate in a four-week period compared to the same time in 2021.

Meanwhile, some things never change as shoppers spent an extra €620,000 on traditional hot cross buns last year. Retailers hoping to see sales soar once again this year should ensure they are stocking the right range – from fun and colourful options for the kids to luxurious, indulgent choices for adults.

Spring is in the air

For a luxury chocolate egg sure to impress this Easter, look no further than Butlers Chocolates – Ireland’s preferred brand of luxury Irish chocolates*.

Butlers boxed eggs, continue to be a must-stock premium Irish-made chocolate egg for Easter – perfect both self-treat and gifting.

This Easter, Butlers beautiful boxed eggs feature a striking look in fresh spring tones, each housing a delicious, creamy milk chocolate egg and a selection of mini filled eggs in such delectable varieties as Hazelnut Praline, Milk Truffle and Dark Salt Caramel.

All Butlers Chocolates products are crafted using sustainably sourced cocoa. In line with its continuing sustainability journey, the majority of the Easter collection is presented in either recyclable or keepsake packaging.

For enquiries and orders, email trade@butlers.ie.

*(Source; Opinions Research 2022).

Vintage treats are in vogue

Cleeve’s Easter Egg collection includes the best-selling variants within its range, and make a great gift for fans, young and old

Cleeve’s Irish Confectionery has developed a selection of delicious Easter eggs this spring that will make the perfect Easter gift for chocolate lovers and fans of the Cleeve’s brand, both young and old.

The Cleeve’s Easter Egg collection includes the best-selling variants within the range with the launch of the Cleeve’s Macaroon Egg, Cleeve’s Iced Caramels & Milk Chocolate Egg, and the Classic Irish Milk Chocolate Egg with Cleeve’s Chocolate Caramels.

Made using Cleeve’s traditional recipes and quality Irish dairy products sourced locally, the three Easter eggs are all foil-wrapped and presented in striking vintage-inspired packaging that can be recycled and disposed of responsibly. Each carton also gives the consumer some background information on the fascinating history and heritage behind the Cleeve’s brand.

Cleeve’s is Ireland’s longest surviving confectionery brand and has a history as rich as its chocolate. Established in 1882, the Cleeve’s factory in Limerick had become the largest milk processing factory in Ireland by 1902 using the milk of over 10,000 cows. Back then, the focus was on cream and skim milk processing. However, the founder Sir Thomas Henry Cleeve’s saw the value in diversifying and went on to manufacture butter, condensed milk and the brand’s beloved toffee and chocolate products.

Today, it is fitting to honour the memory of the Cleeve’s founder Sir Thomas Henry Cleeve by once again incorporating Irish milk into the Cleeve’s Easter Egg selection. The range includes:

Classic Irish Milk Chocolate Easter Egg (RRP €6): A mouth-watering milk chocolate egg made from the finest Irish dairy ingredients accompanied with the inclusion of luscious Cleeve’s Chocolate Caramels. An all-time favourite treat, Cleeve’s original chewy caramels are smothered in rich dark and milk chocolate and are a gluten-free snack that can be enjoyed anytime throughout the day.
Cleeve’s Macaroon Easter Egg (RRP €6) The classic combination of chocolate and coconut is timeless. the Macaroon Easter Egg is made from Irish milk chocolate combined with exotic coconut from the Far East and brings to market the brand’s market-leading Macaroon Bar in a chocolate egg format using Cleeve’s special recipe that has been enjoyed by successive generations down throughout the years. It is also accompanied with two Cleeve’s Macaroon Chocolate Bars.
Cleeve’s Original Iced Caramels Easter Egg (RRP €6) This brings together one of Ireland’s most cherished retro sweet treats and a luxurious milk chocolate easter egg. Uniquely special and produced exclusively in Ireland by Cleeve’s Irish Confectionery, Cleeve’s Original Iced Caramels combines yummy, chewy caramels under a crisp coating of pink and white icing. One of a kind, Cleeve’s Iced Caramels are still made using the same recipe and methods first developed over 90 years ago.

For more information on Cleeve’s Irish Confectionery visit cleevesirishconfectionery.ie or if you would like to order Cleeve’s, contact your Ampersand representative or call the sales line on 01 4130150.

Refreshed Easter range

Ferrero is introducing new innovations alongside the return of seasonal favourites for Easter 2023 to help retailers maximise the key confectionery sales opportunity.

Thorntons is expanding its range of popular moulded figures with the launch of a white chocolate Bunny in the much-loved 90g format to cater for more gifting occasions. Thorntons’ existing 170g Bunny is already the third bestselling branded SKU in value sales within novelties, worth £1.48m*.

A full pack redesign will roll out across Thorntons’ kids eggs, with animations and colourful backgrounds aiming to drive standout on shelf for parents. Thorntons’ eggs are the third fastest growing** medium egg gift range. This was supported by a 30% rise in penetration in 2022, with increased spend from pre-family and empty nesters, showcasing the products’ wide brand reach and strength as a gift.***

Ferrero Rocher Easter confectionery value sales has grown by 10.8% vs a year ago****. To build on this success and continue momentum in 2023 the brand is launching two boxed egg packs, a Ferrero Rocher Egg and a Ferrero Collection (Milk) Egg, which both include a large 175g egg and six Ferrero Rocher. On top of this, Ferrero is introducing a new 100g Bunny for Easter.

Meanwhile, Kinder Surprise accounts for 33% of Kinder’s unit sales during Easter, and Kinder Seasonal is returning for Easter 2023 with familiar favourites such as Kinder Joy, Kinder Egg Hunt and Kinder Figures. The Kinder75g Bunny is now worth £1.1m****, benefitting from additional distribution in 2022 across grocery and convenience throughout the Easter sales period.

“Easter remains a massive opportunity at the tills for retailers, and we saw strong sales in 2022 for our portfolio,” said Jason Sutherland, UK & Ireland sales director, Ferrero UK.

“Our Ferrero Rocher Easter collection for example grew by 10.8% year-on-year**** and Ferrero eggs are now worth £4.6m thanks to increased distribution.”

*(Source: Nielsen, Easter Confectionery, Special Easter 13 Weeks up to 16.04.22)

**(Source: Within Token Gift Medium Eggs – Nielsen, Easter Confectionery, Special Easter 13 Weeks up to 16.04.22)

****(Source: Nielsen, Easter Confectionery, 13 weeks to 16.04.22)

Ultimate gift this Easter

The Lily O’Brien’s Desserts Collection Egg offers a true feast for the taste buds this Easter

Lily O’Brien’s Easter Eggs provide shoppers with the perfect gifts to celebrate the season with family and friends. Created using the finest ingredients, the deliciously handcrafted collection of Lily O’Brien’s Easter eggs includes the iconic Desserts Collection Egg, the Sticky Toffee Egg and the stylish and sophisticated Easter Gift Bag:

The Lily O’Brien’s Desserts Collection Egg is a perfect gifting choice this Easter. This luxurious hand-crafted milk chocolate egg is complimented with a selection of delicious chocolates from the Lily O’Brien’s much loved Desserts Collection. Each Desserts Egg generously includes nine decadently delicious Dessert chocolates including three of the best loved recipes from the Desserts collection; Crème Brulee, Raspberry infusion and Key Lime Pie.
Luxurious and moreish, Lily O’Brien’s Sticky Toffee Egg is the ultimate indulgent chocolate treat – ideal for spoiling someone special this Easter

Lily O’Brien’s Sticky Toffee Egg will make the perfect indulgent gift for those who love the finer things in life! This beautiful hand-crafted milk chocolate egg comes with delicious sticky toffee chocolates – sweet smooth caramel smothered in milk and dark chocolate.
For a gift to really impress, the Lily O’Brien’s Luxury Easter Egg Gift Bag is the perfect answer this Easter. This stylish gift bag includes a delicious hand-crafted Lily O’Brien’s milk chocolate egg with honeycomb crispy heart chocolates, the beautifully gift-wrapped Ultimate Chocolate Collection and two of the most popular recipes from the Lily O’Brien’s share bag range, a Creamy Caramel share bag and a Crunchy Salted Almond share bag. This collection of mouth wateringly good chocolate goodies is beautifully presented in an elegant gift bag.

For shoppers looking for an alternative Easter gifting option, Lily O’Brien’s luxury boxed chocolate range provides the perfect options. From the best-loved Dessert’s Collection, to the Ultimate Chocolate Collection and the recently launched new Truffles range, Lily O’Brien’s range of boxed chocolates offer retailers the perfect selection to appeal to all your shoppers this Easter.

All Lily O’Brien’s Easter Eggs and boxed chocolates are carefully created and thoughtfully designed in County Kildare making them the ultimate choice for gifting and sharing. Lily O’Brien’s range is available in stores nationwide and you can also view the full range online at www.lilyobriens.ie.

Legendary treats

The Lir range is hand-finished by the brand’s talented chocolatiers in Navan, Co. Meath

For Easter 2023, legendary Irish chocolatier Lir is returning to shelves with its delicious range of premium hand-made Easter Eggs, bringing back some favourites and a delicious new Baileys Original Chocolate Easter Egg too.

Hand-finished by Lir’s talented chocolatiers in Navan, Co. Meath. Lir’s delicious chocolate egg creations are housed in gorgeous packaging which is 99% plastic free and fully sustainable. This year’s Lir Easter Egg collection includes four delectable and eye-catching varieties.

The Lir Milk Chocolate Egg with Salted Caramel Truffles, (230g, RRP: €10.50) is a favourite for all chocolate lovers every year. This silky Belgian milk chocolate, hand decorated egg, includes Lir’s classic cocoa dusted salted caramel truffles. The range also includes a dark chocolate and white chocolate versions of the popular egg alongside the now famed Lir Crispy Caramel Egg, a glorious combination of Belgian milk chocolate with crispy caramel pieces, presented with Lir’s mouth-watering Salted Caramel Truffles (155g, RRP: €8.50).

Meanwhile, Baileys Chocolate fans are in for a tastier Easter with the launch of the gorgeous new Baileys Original Chocolate Easter Egg (RRP €10). Combining a delicious milk chocolate egg flavoured with a hint of Baileys Original Irish Cream liqueur and including eight of Baileys much loved and popular original twist wrap truffles, it’s one that will delight fans of the world’s most popular cream liqueur this Easter.

With reduced plastic packaging, this latest welcome addition to the Baileys Chocolates range joins an already impressive and much-loved Easter egg line-up: from the delicious Baileys Strawberry & Cream Egg and Baileys Salted Caramel Egg to 2022’s hero Baileys Sundae Egg.

To find out more about the 2023 Baileys Easter Egg range visit https://www.lirchocolates.com/collections/the-easter-collection.

Luck of the Irish!

The Lindt Gold Bunny Shamrock is a new limited-edition design of this classic Easter must-have

Make your customers smile from ear to ear this Easter with the Lindt Gold Bunny Shamrock, a new limited-edition design of the iconic Lindt Gold Bunny.

Available now in stores nationwide, the Lindt Gold Bunny range comes in a variety of sizes, formats, and flavours, and continues to grow and dominate the novelties category as a clear market leader at Easter*.

Lindt Gold Bunny is the perfect Easter gift for kids and adults alike and an Irish seasonal favourite supported with heavyweight TV and in-store display right through the Easter season.

*(Source: Nielsen, Total Scantrack excluding discounters @17 Weeks to 17.04.22 ROI Data)

Big brands and best-selling formats

A caramel flavour chocolate shell egg with cookie inclusions, this exciting new innovation includes two KitKat Chunky Caramel bars and KitKat Cookie Dough mini eggs

Nestlé Confectionery’s spring 2023 range is designed to build on its winning formula of big brands delivered across best-selling formats. There is exciting innovation across the portfolio including a Milkybar Mini Eggs Block, the national launch of Aero Peppermint Mini Eggs and the brand new ‘roarsome’ Smarties Dinosaur Giant Egg, ensuring there is something for all the family this Easter.

Headlining the 2023 Nestlé spring range is the much-loved KitKat Bunny impulse bar. Each bar is moulded into the shape of a cute bunny and consists of a rich chocolatey centre filled with crispy wafer pieces, all encased in a smooth milk chocolate shell. Ideal for occasions ranging from indulgent treating, baking and egg hunts to Easter gifting; it’s available in multiple formats including the impulse bar, a sharing bag, a multipack and a Giant Easter Egg complete with an impulse bar and Mini Bunnies bag inside.

The mini eggs category is a growing opportunity for retailers and this year the category will benefit from the nationwide launch of Aero Peppermint Mini Eggs in a brand-new design. After Eight Mint Chocolate Foiled Mini Eggs which are back for 2023 after a successful launch last Easter. Meanwhile, the iconic Milkybar Mini Eggs and Smarties Mini Eggs both feature a colourful new redesign for 2023, which is certain to make them stand out on shelf.

The Smarties Dinosaur Giant Egg offers added-value fun for the family with a special AR experience accessed through a QR code and a make your own dinosaur activity

Building on the much-loved mini eggs format, mini egg block sales saw a growth spurt in 2022. By combining the popularity of this format with the trend for white chocolate, Nestlé arrived at the egg-citing brand new Milkybar Mini Eggs Block. Each block is a combination of iconic Milkybar white chocolate with coloured chocolate mini eggs embedded inside.

Giant and premium eggs remain pivotal to Easter, offering an opportunity for retailers to trade shoppers up through exciting new product launches and more gift-worthy solutions.

Brand new for 2023 is the Smarties Dinosaur Giant Egg. This is not just a trend; children have been fascinated with dinosaurs since the dawn of time! The colourfully designed box is certain to catch-the-eye in store and contains a giant milk chocolate egg alongside three special dinosaur themed Smarties hexatube packs featuring purely the green and brown Smarties. The pack will also feature added-value fun for the family with a special AR experience accessed through a QR code and a make your own dinosaur activity.

Nestlé’s range is once again packed with gift-worthy eggs for all recipients, including a brand-new Incredible Egg from KitKat. The KitKat Chunky Caramel Cookie Collision Incredible Egg comprises of a caramel flavour chocolate shell egg with cookie inclusions, alongside two KitKat Chunky Caramel bars and a bag of KitKat Cookie Dough mini eggs.

Finally, no Easter would be complete without the best-selling large egg format. Nestlé’s range of large Easter eggs includes family favourites from KitKat, Rolo, Toffee Crisp, Munchies, Yorkie, Lion and Smarties. These big brands are important as they have the mass appeal shoppers look for as they want to know they are buying the recipient a gift they will love.

Impressive growth

For over 35 years, Rocheur Ireland Ltd has been supplying Easter product ranges to its retail and wholesale customers across Ireland.

Over the years, the market has steadily moved from traditional Easter Eggs, towards novelty confectionery gift items. Rocheur’s carefully selected, quality products provide retailers with a broader range and add a fun, engaging, and value element for consumers.

Last year, Rocheur Ireland’s Easter range grew by +22% versus 2021

“Our Easter range in 2022 grew by +22% versus 2021 and accounted for 11% of total Rocheur turnover. We anticipate Easter 2023 will grow by a further +16%, says Simon Demery, sales and marketing manager, Rocheur Ltd, demonstrating the brand’s impressive growth.

With everything from Easter Twist Pops to its Hen on a Basket, Easter Milk Nets and much more, Rocheur Ireland’s range is sure to delight kids this Easter

Rocheur is well positioned to supply an extensive range of novelty Easter product with recommended retail prices from €1 to €9.

The company’s products include Chocolate Surprise Eggs, a Milk Chocolate Foiled Easter Bunny, Easter Chocolate Lollypops, Easter Milk Nets, Farmer Mallow Pop, Easter Twist Pops,

Milk Chocolate Bunnies (five-pack), Chocolate Hens, Boy/Girl Eggs and Hen on a Basket.

For enquiries, and a brochure of Rocheur’s range, contact sales@rocheur.com

Address: Rocheur Ltd, South Quay, Arklow, Y14KV60, Co. Wicklow.

Telephone: +353 (0) 402 24766.

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