For this one Day of Love and Friendship 2022the chocolate industry in Mexico expects to increase its sales up to 22%, driven by electronic commerce, which has been adjusted to the new way of life due to the Covid-19 pandemicwith home deliveries.
According to the National Association of Manufacturers of Chocolates, Candies and Similar Products (ASCHOCO), the celebration of February 14 that floods the streets with sweets in their different presentations, represents 10% of the annual sales of the cocoa and confectionery industry.
“Before the pandemicpeople were already buying online, but the lockdown forced purchasing habits to change as well. March quickly adapted to these new habits and opened different digital channels so that consumers could continue purchasing their products from the comfort of their homes”, says Alberto Cavia, director of Turin for Mexico and Central America.
According to the Mexican Association of Online Sales (AMVO), the Mexican consumer who uses the digital channel recognizes its benefits: people can find products not available in physical stores (60%), receive their purchases in the comfort of their home (60%), save time (57%), avoid crowds in physical stores (55%) and can compare prices and varieties (55%).
Following these consumer trends, Mars underpins its strategies to grow its digital business. Currently, 5% of its global income comes from digital sales, but the route has already been mapped out: that 5% will become 20% within five years, the chocolate company bet.
A survey Mars did for the Valentine’s Day 2022showed that 86.5% of the people surveyed will celebrate Valentine’s Day in their homes due to contingency prevention.
Chocolates top the list of products to give away (30%), followed by dinner at home (27%). 48.6% will buy their gifts through electronic commerce. 35% of those who will give chocolates will complement them with another product, such as flowers, a cake or a stuffed animal.
Last year, Mars opened in Mexico the Turin Experience, a new store that seeks to deliver unique experiences with the most delicious ingredient in the world: chocolate; but it also launched a digital store Turin.mx so that people can buy without leaving home, from a chocolate tablet to haute confectionery ingredients to prepare exquisite desserts.