Christmas innovations lend cheer despite a continuing shrinkflation trend

With just a couple of weeks to go until Christmas, it’s clear that retailers have been pulling out all the stops in a bid to gain their share of the industry’s biggest annual moment of the year.

While Halloween may be approaching it in terms of sheer value in sales, alongside an ever-increasing array of celebrations throughout the calendar on an international level, there’s something that remains particularly special about the Christmas season.

As we discovered in our special festive edition of Confectionery Production, there’s are plenty of surprises this year in terms of novelty sweets, snacks and chocolate that help mark the occasion in style.

From a host of premium confectionery, including a chocolate Haggis that is rumoured to have arrived in our offices, through to tweaks of familiar classics spanning everything from After Eight Mints and Prestat luxury truffles, through to Hotel Chocolat’s festive Velvetiser range (see our December edition of Confectionery Production for more), there’s been something for everyone this year.

However, as we’ve noted previously, amid the general cheer of the season, there has been the unwelcome reported return of shrinkflation for some product segments, in which ranges, including sharing boxes and tubs of some of our most well-known household brands, that have been reduced in size as a response to rising cocoa costs, which are thankfully starting to come down in the past few months.

While many consumers can accept things perhaps being a little less generous in size, if this also comes with price increases, then that becomes a whole lot harder to swallow, as has been the case in the UK, where prices have gone up by up to 20% for some product ranges, which has understandably caused some notable level of concern.

Just how much this will impact retail figures this Christmas is hard to say, as the giving of confectionery as a gift is a time-honoured tradition here, as much as it is in many parts of the world.

So here’s hoping for everyone’s sake, that some treats are potentially heading our way during the festive season, which hopefully for many, will be a welcome chance to spend additional time with friends and family, which adds to the magic of the occasion. 

Neill Barston, editor, Confectionery Production

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