An I Love Fruits range is just one of the KitKat delights Nestle will produce at its new factory in Japan when it comes on stream in August, as the company seeks to satisfy increasing appetite for locally-made chocolate brands.
Nestle is looking to build on its policy of “premiumisation” through unique flavours to capture growth in what it calls a highly saturated domestic market.
The Swiss food giant is building a new plant in Himeji in Hyogo prefecture in Japan’s Kansai region. Nestle already has a factory making KitKats in Japan, located in Kasumigaura.
Sales of KitKat in Japan, deemed the top chocolate brand in the country, have increased every year and more than doubled between 2010 and 2016 a company spokesperson said. The firm is selling 4m pieces daily, it said.
Pistachio & Raspberry KitKat will also burst out of the Himeji facility, complementing the 30 varieties on sale, including Wasabi, Pumpkin and a chocolate bar that can be baked in the oven and eaten like a cookie.
