In a strongly competitive market, suffering from sluggish growth compared to Swiss behemoth Nestlé and US giant Mars, British confectioner Cadbury is hoping to boost sales by capturing the impulse market unawares and placing vending machines in unlikely places.
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The market for confectionery products is flat, or even declining, in the majority of countries where Cadbury enjoys its strongest position, such as the UK, Canada, Australia and Ireland. It is developing markets in India and China which are forming the focus of Cadbury’s push for sales, but on the home market, CEO John Sunderland has revealed an interesting strategy aimed at cornering the impulsive chocolate eater.
Vending machines are popping up in those places where people do not generally eat chocolate, such as hospitals, offices or pubs. “The key is making it easy for consumers to act on their impulse,” explains Sunderland: “wherever it is economically and culturally feasible, we want to have Cadbury chocolates available.”
