World Chocolate Day 2021: Chocolate. The word itself brings comfort and joy. Now adding the word luxury to it, and it is like getting transported to a entire new blissful world with refined, superior chocolate that has been made with about as significantly care as our like for consuming it. Chocolate has traversed the path from getting a dessert to getting a comfort meals amongst customers, specially so amid the coronavirus pandemic. This like for chocolate and its diverse consumption patterns are now forcing luxury chocolate makers to bring in innovation at each and every step of the way.
A visible proof of this customer-driven modify can be seen in the reality that Indian luxury chocolate brand SMOOR has launched a collection that focuses on boosting the immunity of the buyers by incorporating components like turmeric, pumpkin seeds, Tulsi, Giloy, Amla and Ashwagandha.
Talking to TheSpuzz Online’s Bulbul Dhawan, Founder-Director and CEO of SMOOR, Vimal Sharma, spoke about the modifications in chocolate consumption patterns witnessed for the duration of the pandemic. He mentioned, “We have seen overall growth in consumption during this period. This can be driven by two factors. Firstly, we definitely have acquired new customers, which has provided a fillip to sales numbers. Secondly, we have also seen a positive change in consumer behaviour in the sense that people are embracing chocolates as a snacking option.”
The chocolate sector as a entire is a quick developing market place in India, and as Indians travelled abroad and understood about premium or luxury chocolates, it paved the way for the nation to have its personal premium chocolate market place. While solutions in the luxury chocolate market place in India have been initially dependent solely on imports, like these from Italian business Ferrero’s Ferrero Rocher and US-based The Hershey Company’s Hershey’s, the market place is now witnessing an raise in indigenous luxury chocolate brands, with even dairy giant Amul getting into the market place.
The reality that buyers have been more overall health conscious for the duration of the pandemic is also a significant driving element as to why a lot of significant luxury chocolate brands are bringing in ranges with dark chocolate.
Talking about the influence of enhanced consciousness about fitness and overall health on chocolate, Vimal mentioned, “The growing focus on fitness and health has definitely had a positive impact on our brand and business. We have seen a rise in the consumption of dark chocolates, which are considered healthy. In desserts, we have seen growth, albeit the portion size has come down along with demand for less sugar and fruits in cakes.”
A glimpse of the significance of luxury chocolate in India can be understood from the reality that it is a Rs 3,000 crore sector, and whilst the chocolate sector as a entire is developing at 18%, the development of the premium chocolate sector is getting recorded at a significantly larger 32%.
Luxury chocolate is a fairly new term in the chocolate sector in India, and so is the assortment of chocolates – like dark, white and milk chocolates. However, when it comes to meals, India has often loved to adopt and adapt to new solutions relatively speedily. Up till a handful of years ago, chocolate was basically deemed unhealthy due to it getting primarily accessible as a dessert or in the kind of milk chocolates.
However, now, this perception appears to be altering as the adoption and consumption of dark chocolate – which is deemed healthier mainly because of larger cocoa content – appears to be escalating. This is also why quite a few of the new luxury chocolate brands in India and abroad are bringing in more and more solutions based on dark chocolate. With buyers themselves deciding upon the healthier of the alternatives accessible, it is all-natural that the chocolate sector would also up its efforts in the healthful snacking division. And these efforts are probably to spend off, as effectively, if the initial positive response received by SMOOR is something to go by.
What’s even more fascinating is the scope for experimentation that the sector has more than the next handful of years, specially in India. Indian luxury chocolate firms are working on low capital, specially when compared to Europe and Australia, and this offers brands operating in India a significantly superior edge.
The altering way of life of buyers and the developing awareness concerning chocolate and its implications on overall health is driving luxury chocolate brands to actively work on their offerings. It appears like it is only a matter of time ahead of a wide variety of healthful chocolate snacks would be accessible for buyers who are ever-prepared to attempt out the next new innovation involving chocolates.