Cocoa beans have risen sharply in price on the world market
An era of turbulence has arrived for confectionery departments in stores: the names, composition and type of sweets are changing. The reason is simple: cocoa beans have risen in price sharply on the world market, and in order for candies and chocolate to remain affordable, manufacturers and sellers have to “chemicalize”. MK found out how familiar sweets are changing and where to look for natural chocolate now.
At first glance, the appearance of shelves with chocolate and other sweets in supermarkets remains familiar: even most brands of sweets have not left the Russian market. However, those who constantly buy confectionery products and look at the assortment have noticed: the usual promotions on chocolates (primarily milk ones) have disappeared, but many new varieties have appeared with a mind-boggling variety of fillings. «Clean» (or with nuts), classic chocolate is becoming increasingly difficult to find, and its price is rising.
— One example of how to keep chocolate prices extremely low — sell a product in which the share of chocolate itself is less than the share of various fillings made from the most inexpensive ingredients, — analysts of the telegram channel “ProductMedia” note. — Peanuts, waffles, caramel, vegetable fat — These ingredients in the composition make it possible to sell such products at a competitive price.
Such tiles — in fact, vegetable fat with peanuts/wafers or something else, only covered with a chocolate film, experts emphasize. But there is no prohibition against calling this kind of product chocolate, so the manufacturer is not formally deceiving anyone by indicating that there is milk chocolate inside.
Manufacturers point out the most obvious reason: a sharp rise in the price of cocoa beans. Over the past year, this colonial product has more than tripled in price, the reason — crop failure in West Africa, where most of the world's cocoa is grown. The exchange value of raw materials broke a half-century record.
As a result, some confectionery manufacturers have even suspended production of their inexpensive lines. And where demand allows it, prices increase: in retail we are talking about an increase of 10-20%, and industrial chocolate has risen in price by 20-50%, they said in ProductMedia.
— The times when chocolates from well-known brands were sold with endless promotions have come to an end, — states food market analyst Mikhail Lachugin. — More precisely, the shares remain, but the price tags are different. And it is in budget positions that price increases will be felt especially strongly.
According to the expert, manufacturers cannot simply rewrite price tags under the dictates of large chains. Moreover, a sharp increase will respond to demand. Therefore, we have to reduce the cost of production. “Reducing weight, changing the composition, increasing the proportion of various fillings based on vegetable fat, jams and candied fruits,” — Lachugin lists.
Buyers, in the absence of promotions and the usual low prices, are gradually reoriented to other sweets, cheaper ones. “If earlier chocolate bars and tiles were the main hit, then this year the best thing is waffles, including glazed ones, — told «MK» merchandiser at the Moscow division of the federal retail chain. — An increase of no less than a third. New brands are appearing, both Russian and foreign. But the main argument, of course, is the low price.”
Glazed waffles in Soviet times were usually sold in the format of waffle cakes and were considered an inexpensive and long-lasting alternative to real, cream cakes. Now they compete with chocolate bars and bars — and also win the competition.
As for the previously familiar chocolates, they remain on sale, but are gradually turning into a premium product. And at the same time they become cheaper using the above methods. So, on the racks with fashionable square chocolates you can see a full range of fillings, but the classic varieties of the same brand cost well over 200 rubles and are often kept in anti-theft boxes.
In general, chocolate sales are stagnating: in just two months, March and April of this year, sales of loose chocolates in physical terms decreased by almost 10%, figure chocolate — by 3.4%, assorted chocolates — by 1.9%, tiles — by 1.7%, notes ProductMedia. Replacement for these sweets — those same waffles and cookies.
At the same time, real chocolate will not be inaccessible, Mikhail Lachugin is sure. “The opportunity to buy high-quality chocolate will remain in any case, the only question is the price, — the expert concludes. — Of course, we won’t buy a tile for 50 rubles, we won’t buy a tile for 100 rubles either, but at prices starting from 200 rubles for a 100-gram tile we will get a quality product.”
True, all this means that Such chocolates will no longer be available in mass grocery stores. In low-cost chains, price still decides everything, which means there will be a kingdom of sweet bars with additives. But for something of better quality you will have to go to branded stores. Just like in Soviet times, when you could only buy real coffee at Myasnitskaya.