Ferrero is introducing an array of seasonal NPD for Spring 2019, including a selection of novelties, chocolate eggs and limited edition box chocolates, plus updates to the core range, supported by . portfolio wide investment across TV, VoD, social sampling and instore media.
Levi Boorer, Customer Development Director at Ferrero, comments: “Mother’s Day and Easter fall later than usual in 2019, extending the trading period and giving a greater window for seasonal sales. We have a wide range of seasonal and limited edition products joining the core line up to appeal to each occasion, and we are investing in media campaigns to support retailers at Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Easter.”
Easter is the greatest peak for confectionery sales in spring, with total confectionery growing by +3.9% in 2018. Easter Eggs were a key driver, achieving value sales worth £370m. Ferrero is building on this success in 2019 with a number of new egg products.
The Thorntons range will be bolstered with three new luxury eggs, featuring strong colours and a premium look and feel to appeal to younger, affluent shoppers. The premium eggs will be available in White Chocolate & Raspberry, Milk Chocolate Almond & Hazelnut and Dark Chocolate & Orange.
The popular 212.5g and 275g luxury Ferrero Rocher eggs (Pictured) saw sales increase +70% in 2018, with the larger egg ranking third overall in the Luxury Eggs category. Both products have been given a makeover for 2019 to provide greater stand out on shelf, whilst also highlighting the quality of the products inside. The Ferrero Rocher range will be supported across multiple channels at each occasion throughout spring.
For Kinder, two new 220g Surprise eggs are being launched to follow on from the 100g egg’s success in 2018, with value sales growing by +21% making it the top performing SKU in the kids confectionery category. The Kinder Surprise eggs will drive further growth in the category, with bigger toys and relevant licences from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Powerpuff Girls having a wide appeal.
Self-treat, novelties and sharing
The Kinder range is being refreshed with a host of new products and line extensions. The five Kinder Surprise 36g hollow figures sport seasonally relevant characters and designs, likely to support early season sales for self-treating.
The entire Kinder portfolio will be supported by a media campaign across all key channels and haloing the full seasonal range. Focusing on the key point of difference of Kinder Surprise products – the toy – the campaign will appeal to parents, showing the variety of the products and toys while demonstrating the excitement they can bring.
For shoppers seeking more luxury, the new Ferrero Rocher mini eggs drive sales early in the season when seasonal sharing is at its peak. The two Ferrero egg products (Hazelnut or Cocoa, 100g) capitalise on the growing popularity of mini eggs, with the launch being supported by sampling activity at high-footfall areas.
Bolstering the range of novelties further is the new Ferrero Rocher Squirrel (pictured.) The 90g product scored highly for likeability in development, with 63% of shoppers saying they would purchase as an additional item.
Completing Ferrero’s range of new products for Easter 2019 are new bunny figures from Thorntons. Two new 200g bunny products (one milk chocolate and one white) are being launched this spring, having scored highly in consumer testing with 82% of shoppers saying they would be happy to give one as a gift.
Ferrero will also be supporting retailers across Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day through range extensions, limited edition product formats and seasonally relevant packaging, all underpinned with multi-channel media support.
Thorntons boxed chocolate grew year on year at both occasions in 2018, at +12% (£3.1m) and +15% (£4.2m) respectively. The limited edition ‘With Love’ boxes make a return for Thorntons in 2019, with updated packaging to drive more interest and underline the premium product inside.
For Ferrero Rocher, Ferrero Collection and Raffaello the core range leads sales as shoppers trust the product and recognise it as a high-quality option when looking for a gift for their loved ones. Ferrero Collection will have two seasonally relevant packs for Mother’s Day, one ribbon pack and one “Just for you” sleeve pack.
Raffaello saw retail sales value increase in 2018 by +22%. A New T8 80G Matchbox pack is being launched in 2019, featuring versatile designs to cater to multiple occasions all year round. The special edition T14 heart also returns for spring 2019, after a spectacular +134% volume increase in 20189. Ferrero will be supporting the line up with a digital campaign coupled with one of the UK’s biggest sampling activities ever, set to reach five million potential consumers and provide three million samples.
“Confectionery is one of the few categories where shoppers are willing to spend money on products they love, especially at key seasonal trading spikes such as those throughout spring,” says Levi Boorer.
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