A few days ago, chinese merchant newspaper (journalist zhou ziu zhu ziwen / graph) reported that chocolate giants, including ferrero, had announced price increases for chocolate products under the flag。
In addition to being driven by higher cocoa prices, industry sources argue that the rise in chocolate prices is related to the increasing pressure on traditional chocolate giants in the context of the current increase in chocolate consumption and the rise in the brand of domestically produced chocolate. Many of the products of chocolate giants have been raised or channelled to downstream markets, leading to an increase in the price of chocolate sweets at the terminal。
Supermarket chocolate products。
Many chocolate giants announced price increases
Market information indicates that the international chocolate lead firm indicated at a good time on 22 july that retailers had been informed that the average price of chocolate products under the flag would be increased upwards or double digits. Nestlé has also recently announced price increases for chocolate products under the flag。
Indeed, early this year, several foreign chocolate giants issued price increases for chocolate products. In february this year, it was described that the swiss chocolate brand, swiss lotus, published a communication on recommended retail and supply price adjustments, announcing price increases for some products, owing to the continued increase in the price of cocoa bean raw materials and the stronger demand to boost brand value。
Felero chocolate product。
In late march, products such as deve chocolate under the marx flag were notified of price increases ranging from 4. 9 to 15 per cent. In april, féléiro also issued a price adjustment letter for chocolate products, covering four products of a robust brand under the flag, with price increases ranging from 6 to 8 per cent, effective 1 june this year。
A chinese journalist asked nestlé about the increase in the price of chocolate and said that he was not in a position to respond. However, the first half of 2025, published a few days ago, showed that the candy and coffee businesses were the main contributors to the organic growth of nestlé, which was driven by pricing of 10. 6 per cent and 6. 0 per cent, respectively. Nestlé focuses in both categories on flexible pricing measures to adequately respond to increased input costs while maintaining medium-term consumer penetration。
Higher cocoa prices and higher costs
The main reason for the increase in chocolate prices announced by the giants was that the increase in cocoa prices raised the production costs of chocolate. The average daily prices published by the international cocoa organization for london and new york showed that on 23 july the price of cocoa futures was $7380 per ton, a figure 121 per cent higher than two years earlier。
According to some sources close to the hundreds of millions of diarrhea, the prices of cocoa have been rising over the years. However, given the relatively small share of the company's chocolate products and its predominance in imports, the impact on the company has been modest。
Wang yong (alias) a chocolate industry practitioner said to the chinese merchant press that the price of cocoa had increased for more than two years. International cocoa production has declined over the past two years, while some large suppliers or large stocks of cocoa raw materials have been hoarded, leading to high cocoa prices for almost two years, which is the main reason for rising chocolate prices。
Wang yong further explained that, against the backdrop of high cocoa prices, the price of chocolate had risen almost a year ago, and some manufacturers had increased prices by reducing the weight of their products. In his view, price increases for chocolate products made with pure cocoa would be more pronounced, while price increases for chocolate products made with substitute cocoa resin would be weaker. “after all, it can be industrialized, with prices rising much less than cocoa.”
Foreign chocolate brands are under pressure
Marketing strategy expert shen bo won said to chinese commercial journalists that, affected by extreme weather and customs policies, cocoa prices in major production areas, such as west africa, have increased the cost of producing chocolate products under the banner. In addition, the rise of a number of national chocolate brands, including daily blackouts, the popularity of some high-end handmade chocolates, and the listing of chocolate sweets in part by bakers, milk and tea shops, have had a significant impact on traditional chocolate giants. Chocolate giants may invest more in marketing to attract consumers, which also raises costs to some extent。
What would be the impact of higher prices for chocolate products on domestic chocolate markets, and would they be channelled to downstream markets such as restaurants, milk and tea shops? Shenzhen, a researcher for iqc, said to chinese newspaper reporters that the rise in chocolate prices had had little impact on the giant's own performance, that the main suppliers in the chocolate industry were now more stable than their brands, that market concentration was higher, and that international head chocolate suppliers and branders had greater bargaining power。
“however, higher prices of chocolate products may be channelled to downstream markets such as restaurants, sweet shops and so on, with some impact. Because restaurants, sweet shops are more competitive and less profitable, consumers are less sensitive to chocolate-containing products from these establishments.” liu fifi added。
Shen bo won agreed that a large proportion of chocolate giants, including ferrero, good times, were made of cocoa resin in china, and that the rise in chocolate prices had an impact on them, but within the limits of affordability. The downstream market may be hit by shocks, for example, for good times, the hottest product is chocolate sauce, which supplies the feeding channel, or it can channel the upward pressure to the downstream feeding channel。
Wang yong was of the view that higher prices of chocolate would have a significant impact on the market. At the present time, the lack of good marketing of chocolate market terminals and higher prices for products will increase the pressure on sales, which is a problem that must be faced by the entire industry. For places such as the downstream milk and tea shops, the introduction of chocolate sweets or the greater use of substitute cocoa fat raw materials, and the small size of the product, should not be significantly affected。
