Britons are among the most enthusiastic eaters of chocolate and confectionery products in the European Union. However, constrained economic conditions and fluctuations in the prices of key inputs mean the industry has not had the smooth ride one might expect over the past five years. Part of the problem is that industry revenue was artificially inflated at the start of the period due to high food prices. The shift of production capacity to continental Europe and a subsequent fall in cocoa prices are largely to blame for industry revenue shrinking at an estimated compound annual rate of 0.8% over the five years through 2015-16.
This industry is broken down into two subclasses: cocoa product production and sugar confectionery manufacture. Most of the cocoa product segment is made up of chocolate, but it also includes cocoa butter, cocoa fat and cocoa oil. The sugar confectionery segment covers the manufacture of chewing gum, caramel, nougat, lozenges, toffee and fondant.
The report covers the scope, size, disposition and growth of the industry including the key sensitivities and success factors. Also included are five year industry forecast, growth rates and an analysis of the industry key players and their market shares.
