Festive confectionery still shines despite wider market challenges
We are now just several weeks from Christmas and it seems that celebrations are very much in full swing around the world, in terms of a wealth of decorations, glossy media campaigns and a whole raft of special edition confectionery.
It’s certainly been intriguing to check out what has been making the grade this festive season here in the UK, and it seems that many stores are sticking with tried and tested family favourite brands, and their respective offerings from the likes of Cadbury, Mars, Ferrero, Hershey among many others.
Thankfully, as our latest edition of Confectionery Production reveals, there’s a good deal of resilience amid the independent segment well, showcasing the fact that smaller businesses are managing to keep going despite testing times, though it’s clear from recent studies from the likes of the Food and Drink Federation that greater support for the SME sector is going to be vital in order preserve our much-cherished industries.
Typically, when times are financially uncertain, levels of innovation tend to take a dip in many industries, and that’s definitely been true of the chocolate confectionery sector, according to Mintel research in recent years. But despite this, UK companies such as Plamil, Fudge Kitchen and Sweetdreams have all continued with their pipelines of innovation, which is to be commended.
So when you come to do your final shopping this year, spare a thought for some of those smaller enterprises that could really use our collective support, especially here in the UK, which has experienced significant issues with inflation and supply chain tests that have made trading a whole lot more complex than it perhaps should have been.
Here’s hoping that 2024 brings us some more settled time all-round, and we’ll certainly look to celebrate the achievements of both small and large businesses across the confectionery sector, as we turn our attention to the 2024 edition of the World Confectionery Conference, which is destined to be held in Brussels next September.
- Keep in touch at [email protected] or via social media @confectionprod or at our Linkedin pages
