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CONFECTIONERY FROM PAGE 42 “Premiumisation is all about people looking to the next level when it comes to treating themselves,” Ms Olliver- Burnside said. “However, there’s been a shift in confectionery in that, while it’s seen as a way for people to treat themselves, it’s also seen as a luxury. “This concern with pricing in the premium range offering has led people to step down into a more general space where core ranges reside.” IRI Lead Consultant Jan-Willem Verstraten comments that before the coronavirus emergency he would have confidently predicted a slight decline in sugar consumption over the next couple of years given the focus on health and a trend toward more expensive and premium products. “This decline in sugar consumption would be evident in the units and kilograms people usually go for,” he said, “but when people are down and out, stuck at home and often worrying about their job and finances, they can find themselves in survival mode and less concerned than usual about health and sustainability. “So, with everything changing so dramatically, consumer priorities too have shifted. All of a sudden, they’re much more concerned about their financial and mental wellbeing than their physical wellbeing. “How the picture will end up, I can’t say for sure, but I’d guess coronavirus is going to give a bit of a short-term bump to the category.” Despite this potential boost, Mr Verstraten says a concern among confectionery manufacturers and retailers is that category sales will feel the impact of people remaining more sedentary in their homes. He adds that another boost for convenience confectionery could hinge on people avoiding public transport for the foreseeable future and using their cars instead, in line with social distancing precautions. “As people use their cars more, there could be a slight spike in confectionery sales at convenience stores as people pop in and out more easily,” Mr Verstraten said. “There’s been a hypothesis around for a long time that younger people don’t really own cars, whereas the evidence shows that they do own cars, which is another area convenience confectionery could capitalise on. 44 CONVENIENCE WORLD JUL/AUG, 2020