In 2007, premium chocolate sales were $3 billion, having grown 17.3% since the prior year and a healthy 200% since 2003. Conventional chocolate sales, in contrast, grew only 0.7% over the prior year and 4% since 2003. The growth in premium chocolate sales is part of a wider purchasing trend of consumers adopting special occasion brands as their everyday brands.

This all-new report investigates the market and forecasts its growth to 2012. It also analyzes 10 trends driving the premium chocolate category:

• Bean to bar & microbatch production
• Dark milk & upscale white chocolate
• Sustainability
• Premiumitizing the familiar
• Exotic flavors
• Exotic functions
• Ultra dark bars
• Ethical chocolate: organic & fair trade
• Large tablet bars
• Filled bars

Research Methodology

This report relies upon several data sources to track chocolate sales. These sources use different assumptions with differing degrees of accuracy. To estimate the size of the retail U.S. chocolate market, Packaged Facts uses apparent consumption data published in the Department of Commerce (DOC)’s Current Industrial Reports: Confectionery 2007. Company and brand-level sales data were provided under special arrangement with Information Resources, Inc. (IRI).

In addition to DOC and IRI data, this report relies extensively on company financial and product information, extensive literature searches in industry trade publications and exclusive interviews with senior company staff.

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