Swiss chocolate maker Chocolat Frey is looking at plans to take its range of branded products into the UK market.
Chocolat Frey, which supplies private-label chocolate to retailers in the UK, is studying how to launch its branded lines in the country, a senior executive has told just-food.
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“We’re very, very strong in private label in the UK [but] we think there’s potential for a Swiss chocolate brand besides Lindt and Toblerone,” Martin Buerkl, brand manager for domestic markets at Chocolat Frey, said. “We want to position ourselves a little bit below Lindt.”
Buerkl conceded the UK market was competitive and said Chocolat Frey was evaluating potential distribution in the country. “Maybe it’s with alternative distribution: coffee shops, small stores,” he said.
He insisted the Frey brand could thrive in the UK and pointed to the company’s market-leading position in Switzerland, which he described as “the land of chocolate”. He said: “We do have unique products. Our strongest asset is that we are number one in Switzerland. We’re the best-selling chocolate brand in Switzerland.”
Buerkl was talking to just-food at the ISM confectionery industry trade show in Cologne last week. Chocolat Frey generated CHF399m in sales in 2011, down 1.5% on the year. However, its export sales increased last year from CHF118m to CHF119m.
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By GlobalDataBuerkl said Chocolat Frey had had a good 12 months outside its domestic market. “We had a successful year, considering the crisis in Europe and the strength of the Swiss currency,” he said.
He added that the company would look to develop its presence in Asia and particularly the Middle East in the next 12 months.
