Australia’s chocolate consumption is on the rise, with more Aussies eating choc bars, blocks and boxed chocolates than they were in 2013.
According to recent Roy Morgan Research, last year just over 13.5 million people aged 14+ (68.4%) ate some kind of chocolate in an average four weeks, up from 12.5 million (65.3%) in 2013. Chocolate bars are the most popular, consumed by 53.2 per cent of us (up from 47.9% in 2013). This was followed by blocks (41.8%, up from 40.2%) and boxed chocolates (19.2%, up from 16.5%).
Boxed chocolates: giving and sharing
Source: Roy Morgan Single Source (Australia), January-December 2016 (n=14,330). Base: Australians 14+
Although boxed chocolates are generally marketed as a gift someone would buy for someone else, nearly three-quarters (73.4%) of Australians who buy them in an average four weeks eat them too. This suggests that giving boxed chocolates is just part of the equation, with the subsequent act of sharing them almost as important—a tasty example of the broader retail trend of ‘experiences over things’.
Cadbury Favourites ranked as the most popular, followed closely by Lindt Lindor Balls and Ferrero Rocher.
“It’s safe to say that Australians love their chocolate, and Easter is the ideal time not only to indulge this passion but to share it with others,” said Michele Levine, CEO, Roy Morgan Research. “And it is this act of sharing that gives boxed chocolate its special appeal: not only do those buying it for others experience the satisfaction of brightening someone’s day, but they’re frequently rewarded for their efforts when the receiver offers them their pick of the box!”
“Naturally, this is not always the case: some people buy boxed chocolates for themselves, while others (especially around Easter and Christmas) may buy a box for a friend or loved one and receive their own box from someone else—but there’s no doubt that sharing these chocolates adds to the enjoyment.”
“In today’s retail landscape, with its gradual shift away from buying ‘things’ in favour of experiences, boxed chocolate offers the best of both worlds.”
Curiously, some boxed chocolates experience a higher crossover between buying and eating, as the chart above indicates, with the more ‘luxury’ brands Lindt and Ferrero Rocher being consumed by a higher proportion of buyers than traditional Cadbury’s classics.
