About 16% consumers in the UK, equating to about eight million people, eat chocolate every day, and 17% do so four to six times a week, according to a Mintel research.
About 5% of consumers in the UK say they never eat chocolate, showing that chocolate remains one of the country’s favorite treats.
The research finds that 73% of consumers enjoy plain milk chocolate.
About 49% enjoy filled chocolate (for example, with caramel) and 47% flavored chocolate (such as orange-flavored, ginger, or with nuts or raisins).
About 37% enjoy dark chocolate and 30% plain white.
Daily chocolate fix
About 22% of consumers aged 25-34 say they have chocolate daily (compared to 16% on average).
Mintel says consumers in London are significantly more likely to consume chocolate every day, with up to 26% doing so, compared to 12% of those living in South East and East Anglia, 16% in South West and Wales, 15% in East and West Midlands, 15% in the North West, 11% in Yorkshire and the Humberside and 17% in the North and Scotland.
“The status of chocolate as a personal treat remains an ingrained part of consumers’ diets, despite the recent focus on the role of foods high in fat and sugar in the nation’s weight gain,” says senior food and drink analyst Richard Ford.
Label claims
The consumption of chocolate is set to increase this year, as Mintel research shows 120% growth in the number of new chocolate products launched carrying an ethical claim, such as Fairtrade certification, between 2012 and 2013.
Overall, out of all new chocolate products launched, the share of launches carrying ethical claims grew from 4% in 2010 to 17% in 2013.
Consumption by gender
When it comes to buying chocolate as a gift, with the recipient’s tastes and preferences guide the decisions of 54% of consumers.
Women (58%) are more likely to buy a brand keeping in mind the recipient’s tastes compared to men (49%).
In terms of overall frequency of chocolate consumption, there is little difference between men and women (16% of men versus 15% of women).
When it comes to block chocolate, women are more likely (50% of women versus 44% of men) to have eaten flavored block chocolate whilst men are more likely to have eaten plain white block chocolate (32% of men versus 27% of women).
