CHOC FULL: Surprising centers are lending themselves to an even more specialized premium chocolate category
By George Ellis
SUPERMARKET NEWS
06/30/2008
Just as chocolate lovers were beginning to grasp the flavor nuances of sweet treats boasting premium cacao content, chocolatiers began infusing their delectable creations with equally premium centers. Today's fillings range from standby caramels and cremes to such exotic inclusions as hot chilies, olive oil, superfruits and even breakfast proteins.
"People have got in their mind that really good chocolate tastes even better if it's got raspberries or coffee beans or something like that in it," said Marcia Mogelonsky, an analyst with Mintel, a Chicago-based market research company. "As people become more sophisticated and want better-quality chocolate, they want more sophisticated fillings as well."
Scott Achs, grocery manager at Dayton, Ohio-based Dorothy Lane Market, recognizes the trend.
"The Mo's Bacon bar from Vosges, with applewood-smoked bacon in milk chocolate, is a popular item here," he said.
St. Louis-based Straub's Markets caters to an equally offbeat sweet tooth.
"There's a company called Ritrovo Italian Regional Foods in Seattle that's importing BruCo chocolate, and they've got an olive oil ganache chocolate, and it's fantastic, and unique," said Roger McElroy, who is grocery manager there. Of all the things being put in chocolate today, "this filling goes quite well," he said, noting that he's just added the confection to the 500-600 SKUs of premium chocolate carried at each of Straub's five stores. About 40% of chocolate carried by the retailer include some sort of filling.
High-quality chocolates have performed well in recent years at Straub's, especially those that are presented in a bar form.
"Instant consumables - small packages - it's something the customer can buy and enjoy that day," McElroy said. Overall premium chocolate sales are also faring well, he said.
"During the past three to four years, we've [sold] three times what we'd sold previous to that."
Premium chocolate sales have grown at double-digit rates in recent years, hitting $2.05 billion in 2006, according to Mintel, and they're predicted to reach $3.5 billion by 2011. A Mintel consumer survey revealed that when asked about their favorite premium chocolates, almost two-thirds (62%) of respondents chose filled chocolate as one of their top picks.
Traditional grocery stores have become a popular destination for these chocolates, according to Mintel. More than two-fifths (41%) of consumer respondents reported purchasing premium or gourmet chocolate at a "regular" grocery store in the previous three months, ahead of those who purchased the sweet treats at mass merchandisers such as Wal-Mart (37%), drug stores (26%), and specialty candy or chocolate stores (26%).
Supermarkets find that premium chocolates, including those that are filled, sell well as an impulse item near the checkout, buty they also merchandise it in other parts of the store ranging from the candy aisle to deli, fruit, floral and wine departments.
McElroy merchandises premium chocolate throughout the store.
"There's the normal places, such as on the checklanes and registers," he said. "We cross-merchandise them about any place in the store we can. So we'll have some by the cheese and we do them over by the snack section. It's a very high-impulse item."
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The list of premium chocolate brands retailers told SN they carry reflects the vast selection buyers can choose from today. McElroy listed several, starting with local St. Louis chocolatier Bissinger's and including Cadbury, Starbucks, Lindt, Ghirardelli, Chocolove, Scharffen Berger, Valrhona, Lake Champlain, Dagoba, Ecco Bella, Green & Black's, Dean & Deluca and many more. "And, of course, we've got a lot of Hershey's and other standard companies getting into the high-end market, too," he said.
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