The Real Reason Lindt Chocolate Was So Successful In 2021
Chocolate producers have done fairly well during the pandemic. According to Candy Industry, chocolate sales across the board in 2021 rose when compared to previous years, and Hershey and Mars brands performed particularly well. While these candy companies found a solid market, they couldn't touch luxury brand chocolates. CSP reports that while the pandemic has encouraged consumers to buy more chocolate, premium chocolate ended up drawing some of the most love thanks to buyers slowly transitioning from household brands to finer products.
From these finer chocolate companies, Lindt made waves over the course of 2021. According to the company's website, Lindt & Sprüngli saw growth in the double digits over the past year. While Europe and North America helped increase sales, a larger percentage of the brand's growth occurred in other continents. The brand also saw a faster growth rate than the overall chocolate market and strengthened its online presence. While chocolate on the whole has seen some significant improvement over the pandemic, Lindt can attribute its current success to a few specific factors.
A good year for Lindt
According to Lindt, the company's growth has stemmed from a high demand for chocolates that consumers could eat at home, in addition to more people gifting chocolates. The brand overcame several obstacles across the world in order to pull ahead. Temporary store closures across Europe caused the brand to briefly falter, but Lindt made up the lost ground during Easter and Christmas. The brand also made great strides in Brazil, Japan, and China, while sales in New Zealand and Australia remained strong despite some lockdown measures. Duty free sales stood out as the only sector that hasn't recovered to pre-pandemic levels.
Despite COVID-19's impact on the world market, chocolate continues to thrive and Lindt stands as a leader in the industry. Only time can tell what 2022 may bring, but if the past few years are any indication, Lindt has some serious potential to keep moving ahead and may gain even more earning potential in the coming year.