Nestlé is set to create the ultimate KITKAT Chunky range this summer with its new ‘KITKAT Flavourites’ event. The event will see two of the nation’s favourite flavours – Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter – joined by two of the most popular variants from the past eight years.
The first ‘flavourite’ to return is KITKAT Chunky Cookie Dough. Cookie Dough proved a success with shoppers in 2016 when it was the no.1 confectionery singles launch that year, achieving almost £7.5 million sales[1]. Available from 23rd July, the bar consists of a crisp wafer finger coated in a thick layer of cookie dough filling with chocolatey pieces, covered in a delicious layer of thick KITKAT chocolate.
The next ‘flavourite’ to return is KITKAT Chunky Mint. The UK is a nation of mint lovers. It ranks as the country’s second favourite flavour after caramel, with sales of mint flavour products +7.4%[2]. In 2013, mint proved a winning flavour for KITKAT as consumers voted the mint bar their No.1 Chunky Champion, ahead of other flavours such as Hazelnut and Chocolate Fudge. KITKAT Chunky Mint is now back, from 17th August, as a limited edition. With just one production run on the mint bars, retailers are urged to stock up before it’s gone!
The two returning flavours will join KITKAT Chunky Milk Chocolate and KITKAT Chunky Peanut Butter to create the ultimate KITKAT Chunky range for shoppers. Launched in 1999 KITKAT Chunky Milk is the original KITKAT Chunky variant, driving the brand to become the No.8 best-selling chocolate brand in the market[3]. Whilst KITKAT Chunky Peanut Butter is the ultimate KITKAT Chunky flavour, outselling any other variants in the 2012 and 2013 flavour promotions. It remains a firm favourite with consumers today.
The flavourites event will benefit from £1 million media support including social media and video-on-demand advertising, as well as trade support.
KITKAT Chunky Milk, KITKAT Chunky Cookie Dough and KITKAT Chunky Peanut Butter will be available in both price-marked (2 for £1) and non-price-marked (RRP 65p) packs.
New news to boost the category
The KITKAT event aims to boost the singles category by exciting shoppers with some new news.
Confectionery is worth a huge £1.5bn to the wholesale and convenience channel, making it the fourth-biggest category and of critical importance to independent retailers[4]. The singles format is the biggest-selling format in terms of value, contributing 38% of value sales[5].
However, Covid-19 has had a bigger impact on singles sales than other areas of confectionery. As the confectionery format most bought on impulse[6], it has suffered from the reduction in shopper transactions as people have made fewer shopping trips and focused on in-home consumption. This has resulted in some switching into other formats more suited to longer-term store cupboard storage, such as multipacks.
However, as lockdown eases snacking missions are returning to a more normal pattern.
With ‘hunger’ products accounting for 31% of singles sales and performing ahead of the market, +4.4%[7], KITKAT Chunky is the ideal brand to bring news and excitement to the category.
[1] Source: IRI data: CSV, Full Year 2016
[2] Source: IRI 52 Week Sales Mar 2020
[3] Source: IRI data CSV to 13th June 2020
[4] Source: IRI EPOS, Wholesale & Convenience, 52w/e 16.05.2020
[5] Source: IRI EPOS, Wholesale & Convenience, 52w/e 16.05.2020
[6] Source: HIM, CTP, Q1 2020
[7] Source: IRI 52wk sales March 2020
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