olena
<font color=green>Emerald Angel<br><font color=mag
- Joined
- May 12, 2001
LONDON (Reuters) - Chocoholism reached almost epidemic proportions in 2002 as the world chomped its way through chocolate bars, sweets and pralines worth a staggering $42.2 billion, research published Wednesday showed.
As the Valentine's Day industry gears up to spew out roses, cards and confectionery like never before, research from business information group Datamonitor put the Irish and British at the top of the chocolate-munchers league.
And while it will come as no surprise that the United States was the largest single national market for the brown sweetmeat, accounting for more than a third of global sales, sweet-toothed Europeans made a brave showing.
While Europe as a whole spent $19.2 billion on chocolate last year, Britons made almost one in three chocolate purchases and trounced global allcomers -- except for the Irish.
The average British consumer demolished 11.4 kilos of chocolate in 2001 -- the last year for which per-capita data is available -- and spent $93.1 per head, while Irish sweet junkies put away no less than 12.7 kilos each. That makes 254 standard 50-gramme bars.
By contrast, Americans spent just $46.8 per head, and the 4.4 kilos of brown heaven this bought was significantly below the European average.
Only the Swiss at 10 kilos and the Austrians at 10.9 were in the same league as the British and Irish, while in Belgium, considered by many to be the home of the chocolate-maker's art, connoisseurs limited themselves to 8.4 kilos.
But tastes vary widely, and many confectionery makers eyeing up overseas expansion have found their home-grown products don't appeal at all in the target market -- with the honorable exception of hybrids like peanut or chocolate caramel bars.
"Despite a Europe-wide love of chocolate, tastes vary massively across the region," Datamonitor said.
"The French prefer simplicity and purity of taste, without additional flavors and with little sugar, while Italian tastes are geared toward the more indulgent and sophisticated end of the market."
Meanwhile, the British chocolate snackers prefer "countline" products -- chocolate bars designed to be bought singly and guzzled in one go. There are wide varieties in Asia too, although average consumption is far lower than in the west.
The Japanese prefer milk chocolate, the Thais go for white chocolate and in Hong Kong and Singapore, dark varieties come out as favorites.
Although such national preferences present barriers to entry for overseas chocolatiers, there are some growth opportunities as well, Datamonitor said.
The rapid pace of economic growth in eastern Europe means the region's chocolate market is topping the growth league, while in product terms the expanding market for low-calorie alternatives could offer growth potential in mature markets.
As the Valentine's Day industry gears up to spew out roses, cards and confectionery like never before, research from business information group Datamonitor put the Irish and British at the top of the chocolate-munchers league.
And while it will come as no surprise that the United States was the largest single national market for the brown sweetmeat, accounting for more than a third of global sales, sweet-toothed Europeans made a brave showing.
While Europe as a whole spent $19.2 billion on chocolate last year, Britons made almost one in three chocolate purchases and trounced global allcomers -- except for the Irish.
The average British consumer demolished 11.4 kilos of chocolate in 2001 -- the last year for which per-capita data is available -- and spent $93.1 per head, while Irish sweet junkies put away no less than 12.7 kilos each. That makes 254 standard 50-gramme bars.
By contrast, Americans spent just $46.8 per head, and the 4.4 kilos of brown heaven this bought was significantly below the European average.
Only the Swiss at 10 kilos and the Austrians at 10.9 were in the same league as the British and Irish, while in Belgium, considered by many to be the home of the chocolate-maker's art, connoisseurs limited themselves to 8.4 kilos.
But tastes vary widely, and many confectionery makers eyeing up overseas expansion have found their home-grown products don't appeal at all in the target market -- with the honorable exception of hybrids like peanut or chocolate caramel bars.
"Despite a Europe-wide love of chocolate, tastes vary massively across the region," Datamonitor said.
"The French prefer simplicity and purity of taste, without additional flavors and with little sugar, while Italian tastes are geared toward the more indulgent and sophisticated end of the market."
Meanwhile, the British chocolate snackers prefer "countline" products -- chocolate bars designed to be bought singly and guzzled in one go. There are wide varieties in Asia too, although average consumption is far lower than in the west.
The Japanese prefer milk chocolate, the Thais go for white chocolate and in Hong Kong and Singapore, dark varieties come out as favorites.
Although such national preferences present barriers to entry for overseas chocolatiers, there are some growth opportunities as well, Datamonitor said.
The rapid pace of economic growth in eastern Europe means the region's chocolate market is topping the growth league, while in product terms the expanding market for low-calorie alternatives could offer growth potential in mature markets.
Hello, my name is Nancy, and I am also a chocoholic!
