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Summary of our market study
The chocolate market in France is estimated at between €3.3 and €3.5 billion.
The world cocoa market is largely concentrated in Africa, with Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana producing over 60% of the world's cocoa beans, totalling over 4 million tonnes a year.
Chocolate consumption trends in France
Every year, the average French person consumes between 7 and 8 kg of chocolate, making France one of the top six chocolate-consuming countries in the world. This appetite for chocolate is a mix of different types, with around a third dark chocolate and a minority, around 4%, organic chocolate, indicating a conscious shift in consumer preferences.
Chocolate bars emerge as the most popular choice, with over a third of the total volume of chocolate sold in this format.
The market is also sensitive to particular dietary preferences and trends, with the organic segment gaining ground. The organic chocolate market, although still only a small part of the industry, had a market share of around 4% in 2021. France is Europe's second-largest market for organic products, with sales reaching between 12 and 13 billion euros.
Most chocolate is imported. France imports chocolate to the value of $3-4 billion and exports it to the value of $2-3 billion in 2021.
The increase in preference for organic products in general is substantial, with between 70 and 75% of French consumers expressing a stronger inclination towards responsible consumption following the health crisis.
The Bean-to-bar phenomenon, which encompasses direct control of cocoa bean sourcing through to chocolate bar production, echoes these trends and ambitions. This is a niche market, with around 60 chocolatiers in this category.
French legislation strictly regulates the production and labeling of cocoa and chocolate, with different VAT rates - standard 20% and reduced 5.5% - depending on the product category. The chocolate industry has called for standardization of VAT rates to boost competitiveness and consumption.
Cocoa and chocolate market players: dominance of multinationals and presence of craftsmen
- Upstream of the cocoa industry are the farmers responsible for planting, harvesting and drying cocoa beans. While these smallholders are numerous, producing around 80% of the world's cocoa supply, they often work on family plantations averaging less than 10 hectares in size.
- Moving on to the downstream segment of the cocoa chain, we encounter multinationals that control a large part of the mass production of cocoa, an essential semi-finished product for the entire chocolate industry. This includes the cleaning, drying, roasting, shelling and grinding of beans. These activities are carried out mainly in Europe and America.
- In chocolate manufacturing and distribution, ten companies collectively hold 42% of the final market share for chocolate products. Their activities range from the production of industrial couverture chocolate to a whole range of confectionery products. These large companies have the ability to shape consumer trends, dictate pricing structures and set industry standards.
- On the artisanal side, the "Bean-to-bar" movement represents a niche but growing segment of chocolate producers committed to ethical sourcing. These artisanal chocolatiers occupy a much smaller share of the market.
- Numerous artisan chocolatiers and chocolate chains thrive in major consumer countries: Bonnat, Pralus, Bernachon, Ducasse, Leonidas, Jeff de Bruges, La Maison du Chocolat, etc
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Summary and extracts
1 Market overview
1.1 Definition and scope of study
Cocoa is the powder obtained by grinding cocoa beans, the fruit of the cacao tree. The cocoa industry is clearly divided into :
- The upstream part, which consists of cultivating cocoa plantations, recovering the cocoa beans and drying them. This primary upstream industry is the virtual monopoly of developing countries;
- The primary downstream part, which consists in transforming the raw beans into "cocoa mass", a semi-finished product used by the entire chocolate industry (cleaning, drying, roasting, etc.).this is a semi-finished product used by the entire chocolate industry (cleaning, drying, roasting, hulling and grinding), which sometimes takes place directly on the production site, but is more often the preserve of Western multinationals;
- The secondary downstream part, which consists in the production of chocolate and other by-products that are ultimately distributed to end consumers. These secondary and tertiary activities are largely concentrated in developed countries;
Between these key segments of the cocoa value chain, there is of course the transport industry, particularly maritime transport, which links the different geographies involved.
The world cocoa market is a globalized market that operates in a way typical of commodity markets.
Production is largely concentrated in Africa , with Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana alone accounting for over 60% of the world's cocoa output of over 4 billion tonnes. The other key countries in global production are other African countries, South American countries and Indonesia. It should be noted that 80% of world production comes from family plantations of less than 10 hectares.
On the downstream side of the industry, Europe and the Americas account for the lion's share of global processing and consumption. It should also be noted here that a few Western multinationals control a substantial share of the global end-product market. It should be emphasized that this global commodity market is largely shaped by the impact of financial markets , since world prices for physical trade and cocoa futures are set on the London and New York markets.
In France, the chocolate industry represents around 400,000 tonnes, with sales of several billion euros and tens of thousands of direct jobs.
List of charts presented in this market study
- Cocoa production
- Distribution of cocoa-producing countries
- Breakdown of cocoa product imports
- Foreign trade in cocoa
- Main cocoa importers
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Latest news
De Neuville chocolate maker fined 4 million euros - 15/02/2024
- - France's third-largest specialized chocolate distribution network:
- - Percentage of De Neuville stores operated as franchises: 90%
- - Leading French chocolate franchising network
- - Fine paid by De Neuville: Over four million euros
- - Number of De Neuville outlets: 154
- - Period during which De Neuville restricted the commercial freedom of its franchisees: from 2006 to 2022
- - Online sales authorized by De Neuville from: 2019
Chocolate: Fortwenger takes over the Cémoi site in Bas-Rhin - 18/06/2023
- Fortwenger is a family-run gingerbread specialist
- Takeover of the Cémoi chocolate factory in Molsheim
- 22 Cémoi employees taken over
- 120 people employed by Fortwenger
- Creation of "Fortwenger chocolaterie
- The company is expected to report sales of 27 million euros
- Breakdown of sales: 40% own outlets, 45% supermarkets, 10% internet, remainder with wholesalers and exports.
Gourmet delights and the Maison du Chocolat - 16/06/2023
- 1977: Creation of La Maison du Chocolat by Robert Linxe.
- 25: Robert Linxe's age when he bought a pastry and confectionery shop in Paris, La Marquise de Presles.
- 20 years: Robert Linxe develops a catering business before opening La Maison du Chocolat.
- La Maison du Chocolat opens stores in New York, Tokyo, London and Hong Kong.
- 1996: Nicolas Cloiseau joins La Maison du Chocolat.
- 2012: Nicolas Cloiseau takes over La Maison du Chocolat.
- 13 kilos: Average consumption of chocolate by a French person every year.
- La Maison du Chocolat's workshops are located in Nanterre, France.
Chocolate House - 29/03/2023
- La Maison du Chocolat founded in 1977
- Nicolas Cloiseau appointed Meilleur Ouvrier de France in 2012
- Commitment to sustainable development and fair trade
- Regular workshops and demonstrations led by Nicolas Cloiseau and his team of experts
Savencia net profit in 2022 down - 09/03/2023
- Savencia net profit in 2022: 68 million euros (-18% year-on-year).
- Savencia sales in 2022: 6.5 billion euros (+16.8% year-on-year).
- Organic growth of 16.7% in the "other dairy products" category.
- Continued price increases for industrial dairy products between 2020 and 2022 in France.
- Savencia presence in Ukraine and Russia, acquisition of OAO Belebey in 2018.
Affected by inflation, chocolate maker Cémoi keeps its head above water - 21/01/2023
- Cemoi employs 3200 people (2200 in France)
- 9 production sites in France (out of a total of 14)
- Part of the Sweet Products group since July 2021
- Present in the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland, two ice cream production sites in Belgium and a caramel factory in the UK.
- Sweet Products employs 5,000 people, with sales of 1.2 billion euros
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