Perfetti Van Melle (PVM) has announced a plan to boost the sugar confectionery category’s performance by capitalizing on untapped potential.
“The confectionery market is a cornerstone of travel retail and one of the key purchase drivers within our industry today. But it is also a sector with great potential to grow,” says PVM Travel Retail Brand Manager Femke van Veen.
“The current focus on chocolate means that the scope for developing the sugar and gum sectors is huge and as PVM is the market leader in this area, we are excited to share our vision for the future with the wider industry.
“Confectionery is the best category for increasing the average spend by shoppers and has great impulse potential too, so making the most of this potential will be good news for all of travel retail.”
PVM is currently growing faster than the global confectionery category, with sales up 5.9% last year compared to 1.4% for the total confectionery category. In the gum category PVM grew 7.5% compared to 0.8% for the total gum category.
PVM also enjoyed a successful 2018 with a 14.5% share of travel retail’s sugar confectionery market, according to Generation Research, and boosted its position by focusing on its best sellers – including international brands like Mentos and Chupa Chups – growing 6% year-on-year.
Central to PVM’s vision for the future of the category is a renewed focus on the refreshment and small treat items, which the company says have best potential to drive growth.
This potential is based on three core principles: Must haves, building the point of sale (POS) offer, and improved visibility.
Research has shown that the majority of shoppers expect to see confectionery offered at the point of sale with chewing gum currently the top performing item at the till. As a result, PVM’s latest addition to its offer includes the Chupa Chups Box, designed for the point of sale, along with Mentos Pure Fresh watermelon gum and Mentos 2hr Clean Breath power mints.
PVM has created a new range of visibility tools designed to get shoppers in the door with bright and fun colors. PVM’s new Ferry display with customizable wall bays makes it possible to create Mentos and Chupa Chups visibility for locations of any size. PVM also created hanging racks to showcase its best-selling Mega Chups and Backpacks when space on shelves is limited.
“As the market leader in the sugar category, PVM is perfectly placed to lead the way in developing this sector,” van Veen added.
“We have worked hard to create perfect in-store merchandising ideas and develop the point of sale offering. By raising the profile and presentation of our popular sugar brands we can help realize the category’s potential.”
