Confectionery is the biggest category in grocery in Ireland, according to the top 100 categories, in Checkout's Top 100 Brands 2024, in association with NielsenIQ.
As Valentines Day and Easter are around the corner, Confectionery will soon be in the spotlight again this year.
As it is a category that inspires impulse purchases on the run up to these celebratory occasions, this can influence the purchase decision while also creating a memorable experience which can help to engender brand loyalty.
However, it is clear that this is for a limited time only.
Despite this, Ireland's love affair with its favourite brands within this category, has shown little or no change in Checkout's top 5 brands over the years.
Cadbury Dairy Milk retained its number-one position in the top 5, as Lindt also held on to the number-two spot.
Published every August, the Checkout Top 100 Brands is based on branded value sales across the Irish grocery sector, making it the most accurate barometer of the biggest-selling brands in the marketplace.
In compiling the report, NielsenIQ measures the sales performance of over 5,000 brands from over 200 product classes.
Ireland's Top 5 Confectionery Brands
1 Cadbury Dairy Milk
Cadbury has been making chocolate in Ireland since 1932, when the first Cadbury factory opened in Dublin, with Cadbury Dairy Milk production starting the following year, in 1933. Cadbury Ireland factories are located in Coolock, in Dublin, and in Rathmore, in Kerry. The jewel in the crown is the shopper favourite – the Cadbury Dairy Milk plain 53g bar – which is manufactured in Ireland. It is the number-one best-selling impulse SKU on the market, and alone is worth €7.2 million – that is €3 million more than the next best-seller! The multinational confectionery company owned by Mondelēz International.
2 Lindt
Lindt & Sprüngli is a leader in the Confectionery category, offering a wide selection of premium-quality chocolate in more than 120 countries around the world. Lindt continues to grow from strength to strength in Ireland. Growth continues to be driven by Ireland’s number-one boxed chocolate, Lindor, and Ireland’s number-one dark chocolate, Lindt Excellence. Lindt continues to play a big part in seasons, being the number-three manufacturer at Easter. This strong performance is driven by the Lindt Gold Bunny, which remains the number-one novelty.
3 Haribo
The German confectionery brand’s Starmix, Tangfastics and Supermix products are best-sellers, and are therefore likely to be a core offering for any store looking to enhance its confectionery sales. The brand has grown consistently over the years by delivering fun into the category, driving incremental sales for retailers. HARIBO is now available in more than 120 countries around the world. Haribo produces at 16 locations in ten countries.
4 Kinder
Present in the UK since 1966, Kinder owner Ferrero is a leading family-owned global company. Ferrero is the fourth-largest player in the global confectionery market (FT, 2015) and its unique and iconic brands are well-loved throughout the world. Aside from Kinder Ferrero’s brand portfolio includes: Nutella Ferrero Rocher, classic boxed chocolate, pocket confectionery brand Tic Tac and Thorntons. In April 2022, Kinder owner Ferrero announced that it had signed a ‘definitive agreement’ to acquire FULFIL Nutrition, as it moves into the ‘better for you’ snacking space. The value of the transaction was not revealed, however, media reports suggested that the business is worth around €150 million.
5 Galaxy
Knocking M&M's off the top 5 spot this year, Galaxy claims the fifth-place position, having been absent from the top 5 since 2017 when it held fourth position. Galaxy – known as Dove in a number of regions, including the US – was launched in the UK in the 1960s and is today made, distributed and marketed by Mars. The brand is known for its luxurious marketing, emphasising indulgence, pleasure and treating onself. With a range of products such as Minstrels, Counters, Cookie Crumble, and of course, the classic Smooth Milk chocolate, one famous advertisement by the brand says it best – why have cotton when you can have silk?
Category Share: 30.1%
