The chocolate and chocolate factory market - France (2024)

1.2 Growing markets worldwide and in Europe

Cocoa bean production is very demanding, requiring a warm climate all year round, as well as high humidity accompanied by significant rainfall (***). These conditions are best found in tropical forests. This explains why cocoa is produced in so few different countries. Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana alone account for **% of the world's cocoa production. [***]

Share of countries in world cocoa production World, ****, in Source: ****

Beans are generally exported to industrialized countries, which are the main consumers (***). However, cocoa is increasingly processed in producer countries. In Côte d'Ivoire, the Cargill Group's Micao plant is expected to have a processing capacity of ***,*** tonnes by ****. [***]

In ****, the global market for chocolate and chocolate products was estimated at $***.* billion. The market is growing faster than global growth (***), with an estimated average annual growth rate of *.**% between **** and ****. [Mordor intelligence

Chocolate and chocolate factory market trends World, ****-****, US$ billion Source: ****

in Europe in ****, the three biggest exporters of chocolate bars to France are Germany, followed by the Netherlands and Poland.

European chocolate market size Europe, ****-****, in $ billions Source: ****

1.3 A French market with solid fundamentals

The chocolate market grew from **** to ****, rising from *.*** billion euros to *.*** billion euros. This market size has been established using data on Grandes Surfaces Alimentaires (***).

In ****, with the loss of household purchasing power due to inflation, sales of chocolate in supermarkets fell by *.**%.

Size of the French chocolate market France, ****-****, in billions of euros Source: ****

Despite a drop in chocolate sales in supermarkets, the overall size of the French market for the Manufacture of cocoa, chocolate and confectionery products rose from *.*** billion in **** to * billion in ****, an increase of *.**%.

The market grew by *.**% in value terms between **** and ****.

Sales trend: Manufacture of cocoa, chocolate and confectionery products (***) France, ****-****, Millions Source: ****

The volume of chocolate sold in France in supermarkets, decreased by almost *% in ****, reaching *** tons in ****.

Volume of chocolate sold in France France, ****-****, in thousands of tons Source: ****

1.4 A market dependent on imports

The balance of trade in chocolate and chocolate products is particularly negative, with a coverage ratio of just **% in **** (***). This reflects the French market's heavy dependence on foreign imports, particularly in the chocolate bonbon and chocolate bar segments. [***]

exports of chocolate and other food preparations containing cocoa fell by *.**% in **** Exports (***) France, ****-****, € million Source: ****

Imports of chocolate and other food preparations containing cocoa fell by *.**% in ****

Imports (***) France, ****-****, € million Source: ****

France's trade balance has improved by almost *% in ****, with the decrease in imports linked to the fall in volume of French chocolate consumption.

Trade balance (***) France, ****-**** Source: Uncomtrade France's exports abroad are much less concentrated, with the top * customers accounting for just **% of exports. It should be noted that the vast majority of France's customers are located in Europe. England is France's leading customer for chocolate and other food preparations containing cocoa, with a **% market share, followed by Belgium (***). Main export countries for cocoa, chocolate and confectionery products France, ****, as % of total Source: ****

France's main suppliers are its border countries, Belgium, Germany and Italy, with market shares of **.*%, **% and **.*% respectively.

Main import countries for cocoa, chocolate and confectionery products France, ****, as % of total Source: ****

1.5 The positive effects of Covid-19 on the chocolate market

Sales in these three categories during the containment period France, April * to May *, ****, in % Source: ****

The health crisis and confinements have boosted sales of chocolate products. Indeed, the French looked for several ways to relax during the lockdown, and chocolate was one of them. Over the period April * to May *, ****, chocolate bars sold for ***.** million euros, up +**.*% on the same period last year.chocolate & fruit cookies reached sales of **.** million euros, up +*.*%, and pasta sales reached **.** million euros, up +**.*%.

This growth is explained by the increase in purchases for snacking, to the detriment of other more nomadic categories such as cereal bars or compote gourds, by the development of do-it-yourself and by the propensity of the French to prepare homemade desserts. The "family" and "baking" chocolate segments accounted for **% of market gains over this period. [***]

2.1 Regular chocolate consumption

Sales by chocolate segment France, ****, € billion Source: ****

In ****, chocolate bars will account for the largest share of sales, with **.*% of tons sold in supermarkets. This dominance underlines French consumers' strong demand for chocolate bars, which can be attributed to their popularity as an everyday consumer product. Spreads are also very popular with French consumers, accounting for **.*% of tons sold in supermarkets. Change in sales volume between **** and **** France, ****, % sales Source: ****

Sales of chocolate spreads rose by *. *% year-on-year, indicating growing demand for this product. By contrast, all other products saw a decline in sales volume between **** and ****.

Consumption frequency of chocolate products France, ****, in Source: ****

Nearly half of those surveyed(***) say they consume chocolate products at least once a week, confirming the continued popularity of these products in the French food routine. This weekly consumption frequency underlines the importance of chocolate in French eating and drinking habits. What's more, **% of those surveyed claim to consume chocolate productsevery day.

Importance of consumer choices France, ****, in Source: ****

consumers' choices when it comes to buying chocolate are primarily determined by their taste, i.e. their preference for a particular type of chocolate, followed by its composition and brand.

French household consumption of cocoa, chocolate and ...

2.2 France's favorite chocolates

The French say they prefer some forms of chocolate more than others. Chocolate bars are enjoyed by almost */* of French **-year-olds. Fondants, moelleux and pains au chocolat are appreciated by over **% of the population. [***]

It is important to note that preferences change significantly with age. While bars are enjoyed by only **.*% of **-** year-olds, they are appreciated by **% of the over-**s. conversely, processed chocolate products (***) are preferred more by the young than by the old. For example, fondants and moelleux are appreciated by **.*% of **-** year-olds, and only **.*% of over-**s.

Preferred chocolate products France, ****, in Source: ****

Age is also an important determinant, with younger consumers (***).

Preferred chocolate products France, ****, in Source: ****

2.3 Chocolate and the holidays

An important aspect of chocolate is its high consumption during the festive season (***). The first two holidays alone account for **.*% of chocolate consumption over the year. [***]

In fact, **% of French people say they couldn't do without chocolate during the festive season (***). [***]

Breakdown of chocolate consumption by time of year France, ****, in Source: ****

* segments account for */* of Easter sales by volume: moldings, small eggs and chocolate confectionery. In value, however, these * segments account for only **% of sales, for an average spend per consumer of €**.*. [***]

Market shares of the main Easter chocolate manufacturers in **** France, ****, % sales Source: ****

Ferrero holds the largest market share with **.*%, confirming its dominant position as the leading manufacturer of Easter chocolates in France. This strong presence can be attributed to the popularity of its iconic brands such as Kinder and Ferrero Rocher, as well as its effective marketing strategies.

Secondly, Lindt has a significant market share of **.*%, making it a major competitor in the Easter chocolate market. Lindt is renowned for the quality of its products and its varied ranges, which enable it to capture a significant share of sales during the Easter period.

Cémoi and Mondelez follow with market shares of **.*% and *.*% respectively. Although smaller than ...

2.4 Towards healthier food consumption

CHD-Expert has carried out a study on trends in French food consumption. [***] It identified several trends at work:

The Vegan trend, which is lived as a philosophy of life, concerns only *% of French people. The more general healthy trend, which concerns more and more French people. Consuming healthy food is becoming more important, and is reflected in a greater intake of home-cooked meals (***), the use of applications such as Yuka, and a particular focus on the Nutri-score. As a result, some **% of French people say they pay attention to their diet.

The Minsitère de l'agriculture has identified other trends in French food consumption, the most important of which are :

Cross-consumption is the desire of some French people to associate their meals with an experience (***), and mainly concerns urban dwellers. New forms of food sociability are changing the way the French consume, encouraging them to share their meals within a community, or to use them as tools for a political or social cause. Snacking and delivered meals are increasingly popular with the French.

2.5 France's favorite chocolate shops and bars

France's favorite chocolate makers:

The chart below is based on OpinionWay's survey of French consumers' favorite chocolate brands in February ****. These are the respondents' answers to the question "Do you like such and such a chocolate shop?" for each brand, with the percentage corresponding to the proportion of respondents who answered "yes". These answers are compared with the level of assisted brand awareness. Assisted awareness is the number of people who recognize a brand after being prompted to do so by the pollster.

Jeff de Bruges is France's favorite chocolate maker: **.*% of those surveyed said they liked this brand, while De Neuville is the least well-known chocolate brand (***)

The French's favorite chocolate makers by brand awareness France, March ****, in Source: ****

The graph below compares the level of appreciation of * chocolatiers according to respondents' age. It can be seen that the proportion of respondents who say they like Jeff de Bruges, Leonidas and De Neuville increases with the age of the respondents: only **% of young people aged **-** say they like Leonidas, compared with **% of respondents over **. From this graph, we can deduce that older consumers are the core target group for many chocolatiers. The French's favorite chocolatiers by age group France, ...

3.1 Value chain

Source: ****

Producers of finished products such as Mars, Nestlé, Lindt and Sprüngli source their raw materials (***) or caterers.

There are also producers of semi-finished products who, after obtaining supplies from raw material producers, produce couverture chocolate, cocoa powder, cocoa butter and cocoa paste. These products are then sold to certain food manufacturers who use them in their products, for example in chocolate drinks. Semi-finished products are also sold to patisseries, bakeries and chocolate factories. The Barry Callebaut Group is a world leader in the manufacture of semi-finished cocoa and chocolate products.

Focus on the production stage:

Chocolate production is a relatively long and complex process, spanning several months and often several countries. It is important to distinguish between the stages of cultivation, processing, chocolate manufacture and distribution. [***].

After crushing, roasting and grinding, the cocoa powder is extracted from the beans, then mixed and refined with sugar and milk. Next, conching and molding give the chocolate its texture and shape. Finally, manufacturers receive the chocolate and can use it to make new products (***). [***]

Source: ****

3.2 Number of companies and number of employees

Companies in the sector

The number of companies making chocolate products continues to rise, from nearly *** in **** to **** in ****. [***]

Growth in the number of chocolate and chocolate-related companies France, ****-****, in units Source: ****

The number of employees in companies manufacturing chocolate products will increase by only *% between **** and ****, reaching **,*** employees.

Number of employees in chocolate and chocolate-related companies France, ****-****, in units Source: ****

Source: ****

This map is based on data collected using NAF code **.**Z -"Manufacture of cocoa, chocolate and confectionery products". The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region is particularly well endowed in terms of the number of chocolate, cocoa and confectionery product manufacturing companies, with *** in ****. The second region with the highest number of manufacturing companies is the Île-de-France region(***), followed by the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region with *** companies listed. Together, these three regions accounted for **% of the total number of manufacturing companies in France.

It's also interesting to note that sometimes it's not the regions with the most companies that have the most employees. For example, Normandy had just ** chocolate and other manufacturing companies, but *,*** employees. This would mean that Normandy seems to have much bigger companies in terms of size than small artisan chocolate makers, which the Île-de-France region is more ...

3.3 Chocolate distribution

Breakdown of chocolate manufacturer sales by type of customer France, ****, % sales Source: ****

End consumers are the customers to whom finished products will be sold, while semi-finished products will be sold to industrial and professional customers. The majority of chocolate sales, **.*%, were destined for end consumers, whether on the French domestic market or for export.

By contrast, industrial and professional customers accounted for a more modest **.*% of sales. These customers probably include companies using chocolate as a raw material in the production of other products, as well as professionals in the catering and patisserie sectors.

Semi-finished products, which are therefore sold to professionals, can be divided into * categories:

Semi-finished product Use Couverture chocolate Used to coat bakery and pastry products Cocoa powder Used in savory and sweet preparations, desserts and certain beverages Cocoa butter Used to make certain foods, as well as pharmaceutical and cosmetic products Cocoa paste Used in certain pastries and food preparations

The market for chocolate for food use, i.e. products sold directly to end consumers, can be divided into * main categories:

Chocolate bars Chocolate spreads Chocolate bars Chocolate confectionery (***) Cocoa powder

Breakdown of chocolate and confectionery sales by distribution channel France, ****, % sales Source: ****

Finished products sold to ...

3.4 A relatively concentrated market

An overview of the market

It is possible to distinguish * types of manufacturers on the chocolate and chocolate factory market in France. [***]

Number of companies by size and number of employees France, ****, in % Source: ****

The main players are foreign multinationals (***), which have processing plants in France and abroad, and export their products to France. Their main advantage is that they have brands that are well known to consumers, and distributed in supermarkets and hypermarkets in particular. The Milka brand, for example, belongs to the Mondelez group.

SMEs are small and medium-sized companies that make their own chocolate, sold in their own stores under their own brand name. These SMEs do not generally benefit from the industrial capacity or reputation of multinational brands.

Manufacturers with stores (***).

Finally, artisans (***) generally have their own stores, and their sales are concentrated on a small geographical scale. [***]

The chocolate and chocolate factory market is relatively concentrated in France, with * companies largely leading the way in the major chocolate and chocolate factory segments: Ferrero, Mondelez, Nestlé, Lindt and Mars.

The predominance of these brands can be seen in the chocolate bar segment, where Mondelez, Lindt and Nestlé represent **.*% of the market in **** in supermarkets (***)

Market share of ...

3.5 Strategic changes altering the market landscape

French company Cémoi to be acquired by Belgian group Sweet Products in July **** :

Belgian company Sweet Products has acquired French chocolate leader Cémoi in July ****, following exclusive negotiations which began in May of that year. The acquisition aims to create a major confectionery player in Europe, with combined sales of *.* billion euros and over *,*** employees. Cémoi emphasized that this merger could lead to its becoming the world leader in private label chocolates and strengthen its presence in branded segments.

The complementary nature of the two groups in terms of production sites and geographical distribution was highlighted. The new entity would benefit from an integrated supply chain, from cocoa beans to finished products, thanks to ** plants in Europe, the United States, England and Côte d'Ivoire.

Creation of the CPK (***) group, playing the Made in France card:

CPK, a new group formed in **** twelve iconic brands, including Carambar, Poulain, Suchard, Krema, La Pie qui Chante, and Vichy, as well as products such as Malabar bubble-gums. This consolidation is being carried out under the operating subsidiary Carambar & Co, wholly owned by CPK and supervised by the investment fund Eurazeo.

The merger operation was finalized with Mondelez, a food giant and ...

4.1 A wide range of products

An initial distinction between cocoa and chocolate products can be made according to the type of chocolate used to make them. The most common types of chocolate are dark and milk. They differ from each other in their cocoa, cocoa butter, milk and sugar content.

Source: ****

Secondly, these types of chocolate come in many different products. Some products are intended to be used as intermediate products by manufacturers and craftsmen (***). [***]

Within these categories, brands can differentiate themselves through the different components they add to the preparation. For example, Nocciolata spread is produced without gluten or palm oil, which is a differentiating factor compared to its competitor Nutella. Likewise, chocolate can be a coating ingredient for cookies (***).

4.2 Prices rising sharply in 2022 and 2023

Price index for sugar, jam, chocolate and ice cream France, ****-****, base *** in **** Source: ****

Prices for sugar, jam, chocolate and ice cream have risen very little between **** and **** (***). [***]. However, in **** and ****, with inflation in France and rising energy costs, prices for sugar, jam, chocolate and ice cream will rise by *.*% in ****, and by **% in the first half of ****.

The main reasons for this rise in chocolate prices:

The rise in chocolate prices is mainly attributable to several interrelated factors.

Firstly, soaring raw material prices, particularly cocoa, have been a major factor. Last November, the price of cocoa exceeded $*,*** a tonne on the New York Stock Exchange, reaching its highest level in almost fifty years. This increase was partly due to unfavorable weather conditions, such as heavy rains in West Africa, the world's main cocoa producer, leading to a drop in production.

In addition, higher sugar prices, due to extreme weather conditions in producer countries such as India and Mexico, also contributed to the increase.

Prices of butter, eggs, milk and dried fruits such as hazelnuts and almonds have also risen significantly, with increases ranging from *% to **% for some products in ****. [***]

In addition, other costs, such as those linked to the transport ...

4.3 The premiumization of chocolate

Cocoa and chocolate manufacturers are undergoing a number of changes, notably with the development of organic products and premiumization.

The organic trend

Today, **% of French people consider the "organic" label to be important for chocolate (***). This contrasts with stagnant or even declining sales in the sector. [***]

As a result, organic today represents a niche segment in which few players are positioned: only *.*% of the chocolate bar market involves organic products.

Breakdown of sales in the organic chocolate segment by brand France, ****, in Source: ****

Premiumization

The chocolate segment still has growth relays, particularly that of chocolate bonbons, whose penetration rate among the French is only **% (***). [***]

Yet sales volumes are falling. Manufacturers are therefore adopting more aggressive pricing positions in certain segments. Tablet prices, for example, rose by *.*% in ****. Manufacturer Cémoi, for example, says it intends to develop a new, more upmarket range, particularly for the festive season (***).

Chocolates with improved properties (***) generally enable higher prices without limiting consumption. on the other hand, private labels suffer from their lack of diversification and strengths compared to competitors who try to differentiate themselves at all costs.

4.4 A variety of suppliers

The French chocolate and chocolate-maker market is characterized by a diversified offering thanks to a variety of players, including big names in the industry, renowned SMEs, chains with convenience stores and artisan chocolatiers. This variety of players creates a dynamic and competitive ecosystem, offering consumers a vast choice of products, from the traditional to the more daring.

Price sources: carrefour.fr & each manufacturer's website.

5.1 Regulations for cocoa and chocolate products

Cocoa and chocolate products are subject to the regulations set out in European Directive ****/**/EC, which covers product composition and labeling. [***]

The regulations distinguish between * main product categories:

Cocoa Chocolate Chocolate sweets

The cocoa butter content of powdered cocoa is a minimum of **% for lean cocoa, **% for "sweet" cocoa and **% for powdered chocolate.

Several types of chocolate are recognized, including dark, milk, white, "fine", couverture, etc. The minimum cocoa solids content varies between **% and **%. Other requirements apply to milk content, non-fat dry cocoa, cocoa butter, etc.

Finally, chocolate bonbons must contain at least **% chocolate and be the size of a mouthful. This creates a very strict regulatory framework for the naming of different chocolate products.

In addition to cocoa, cocoa butter, milk and sugar, which are the basic ingredients of the various cocoa- and chocolate-based products, flavourings and other edible substances are also included.in addition to cocoa butter, milk and sugar, which are the basic ingredients of the various cocoa- and chocolate-based products, flavourings and other edible materials (***) may be added up to a maximum of **% of the total weight.

However, it is forbidden to add animal fats and flavourings that limit the natural flavour of chocolate. This is to ...

6.1 Player segmentation

Artisanal chocolate makers are also an important segment of French chocolate production. Often run by a single person or a small team, these artisan chocolate makers are small, high-quality structures that do not aim for mass production.

• Lindt & Sprungli
• Jeff de Bruges
• Mondelez Groupe
• Le Chocolat des Français
• Ferrero
• Barry Callebaut
• Leonidas
• Cémoi (Sweet Products)
• Chocolat Chapon
• Pierre Marcolini Chocolatier
• Cluizel Chocolatier
• Savencia Fromage & Dairy groupe
• Benoit Chocolat
• Christophe Michalak
• Maison du Chocolat
• Valrhona (Savencia Fromage & Dairy)
• Bello & Angeli
• Le Comptoir de Mathilde
• Chocolaterie Monbana (Buton Groupe)
• Des Lis chocolat
• Chocolatrie Janin
• Cabosse & Associés (Chocolat Alain Ducasse)
• Mathez Chocolat
• Bonnat chocolatier
• Chocmod
• Côte d'Or Chocolat (Mondelez group)
• Chocolatier Patrick Roger
• Poulain - CPK Production (Carambar & co)
• Weiss
• Yves Thuriès
• GuyLian
• Jadis et Gourmande
• Jean-Paul Hévin
• La Chocolaterie Cyril Lignac
• La Maison Christophe Roussel
• Suchard (Carambar & Co)
• Pierre Hermé Groupe
• Grain de Sail
• Réauté Chocolat Production
• Cargill France
• Dufoux Chocolat
• Buton Groupe- Saveurs et délices
• Solinest