Nestlé to open new confectionery factory in Japan
Nestlé has revealed plans to build a new confectionery factory in Japan to strengthen its supply chain and respond to demand for local flavours such as wasabi.
The new chocolate factory in Himeji is scheduled to start operating on 1 August. It will be Nestlé’s second factory in the country after it opened its first in Kasumigaura 26 years ago.
Nestlé expects to achieve a stable supply by responding to increasing demand for its products and extend through flexible manufacturing with small quantities of the varied KitKat range.
Currently, there are around 30 varieties of KitKat on sale in Japan. Over the years, the KitKat portfolio in Japan has grown into seasonal or regional varieties. Seasonal varieties include pumpkin for Halloween or carrot cake for Easter, while regional varieties are based on local traditional food products, for example, wasabi in the Shizuoka and Kanto area or purple potato in Okinawa Prefecture.
The seven KitKat Chocolatory products produced in the factory will be sold at boutique and e-commerce stores in Japan. The range includes Sublime Bitter, Sublime Milk, Special Strawberry Maple, Special Matcha & Kinako, Special Butter, Special Pistachio & Raspberry and I Love Fruits.
