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There is a low threat of new entry in the market as barriers to entry are high. This is partly because the chocolate market is saturated, with many large, well established brands who have strong brand loyalty e.g. Cadbury, Mars and Nestle.

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Divine's customers are powerful as they can easily and cheaply switch to another brand. Divine have to work hard to retain them and keep them loyal in the competitive and large market.

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Demand for organic products in the UK is increasing. Divine recently brought out its first organic chocolate bars and has the opportunity to expand this range.

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The Soil Association has reported this week on how current consumer trends in health and sustainability are rapidly driving the organic sector in the UK - almost £45 million a week is spent on organic products. The newly released 2019 Organic Market report demonstrates how products branded as organic are becoming the go-to products for the healthy, the environmental and the socially conscious.

The last decade has seen a huge increase in the demand for more ethical and environmentally friendly food options such as free range chicken and eggs due to concerns over chicken welfare in captivity. Now, consumer awareness is extending even further. Customers are now much more aware of the practice of chick culling for instance, where male chicks are routinely killed upon hatching because they can't lay eggs and it isn't economically viable to look after them until they are old enough to eat. There are obvious consumer knock-on effects - the first no-kill eggs have just gone on the market in Germany through a process which identifies the sex of the egg before hatching, meaning that only female hens are allowed to hatch to rear chicks.

Whilst many products guarantee animal welfare standards, they do not necessarily need to be organic. The Soil Association, which certifies 70% of all organic products in the UK, claims however, that people are veering towards organic standards as the marker for a large array of consumption issues which concern them, not just whether something has been produced organically, by using fewer pesticides and not adding any artificial additives or chemicals.

Now consumers increasingly look to the organic label as an arbiter of standards of other issues, such as where the product originated, whether living creatures were harmed in its making, whether the process caused other detrimental environmental impacts and so forth. Organic products tie in with environmentally conscious decisions because they tend to use less packaging and plastic, which the report also highlights as an increasing concern for shoppers.

Another main driver is health, with many UK consumers trying out different diets like cutting down on meat say, or becoming a pescatarian (someone who doesn't eat meat but does eat fish) or a flexitarian (a person who eats mostly plant-based food but occasionally eats fish or meat).

The figures are impressive;

The 2019 Organic Market Report reveals that the UK organic market continues to grow. The market is now in to its 8th year of steady, loyal growth, growing +5.3% in 2018 and on target to reach £2.5 billion by 2020.

Interestingly, it isn't just food driving the boon. Alcoholic drinks are driving growth, with beers, wines and spirits in hot demand. Beauty products and organic textiles are also showing double digit growth.

The Organic Market report doesn't break down the figures by individual groups but it does support the theory that millennials are hugely influential. YouGov data cited in the Financial Times in 2017 reported that the proportion of 18-to-24-year-olds turning to vegetarianism increased from 9 to 19 per cent in just the previous year. The new Soil Association report cites a 52% increase in the number of people in the UK who identify as vegetarians and a staggering 104% rise in veganism since 2016. Whilst the organic sector is still only 1.5% of the total food and drink sector this report suggests that the rise of consumers choosing organic might just be kept in place by current food trends.

On an international level, the UK is seventh in the world for organic sales. Whilst the key market is the US, where 83% of families buy some organic products, the market has matured so much that there is little room for growth. Germany and France are second and third respectively (at €10 billion and €8 billion respectively compared to the UK's €2.6 billion), which suggests large export opportunities for UK producers, once post-Brexit trade issues are ironed out.

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New Report: UK Consumers Want More Organic Everything

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The Soil Association has reported this week on how current consumer trends in health and sustainability are rapidly driving the organic sector in the UK - almost £45 million a week is spent on organic products. The newly released 2019 Organic Market report demonstrates how products branded as organic are becoming the go-to products for the healthy, the environmental and the socially conscious.

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Brexit is a threat to Divine as a business that operates in the UK and 4 other EU countries. Current free trade agreements may be impacted, which may increase Divine's costs.

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Consumers are becoming more aware of the climate emergency and many want to buy from eco-conscious businesses. This is good for Divine who have eliminated palm oil from their chocolate and ensured that all their packaging is recyclable.

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Kuapa Kokoo owns 44% of Divine Chocolate and receives four income streams from their chocolate company. The first is the income from their cocoa bought at the guaranteed minimum Fairtrade price of $2000 per tonne ($2400 from October 2019), which protects the farmers from the volatility of the market. (When the world price is higher Kuapa Kokoo receives the world price). The second is an additional premium of $200 per tonne ($240 from October 2019), which the cooperative invests in their own projects to improve the farmers' living, health and education standards, and farming productivity, as well as individual volume-related bonuses. The third comes from Divine's Producer Support & Development Fund (2% of Divine's turnover) which is invested in Kuapa Kokoo's most progressive programmes which focus, for example, on empowering women, researching best farming practice, and maintaining the organisation's co-operative values amongst members. And last but certainly not least,as the biggest shareholder in Divine Chocolate, Kuapa Kokoo also receives 44% of any distributed profit which the co-operative has used to buy key equipment for all its members.

In addition to the financial benefits and the training, community and farm improvements, and increased income the farmers choose to invest in, Kuapa members benefit in other important ways from owning Divine Chocolate. They have two representatives on the Divine board and are therefore closely involved in the development of the company. Owning a chocolate company gives Kuapa Kokoo farmers a voice in the cocoa industry and a 'seat at the table'. Through owning their own company cocoa farmers have had unprecedented access to the industry they supply, and members have visited UK and other countries around the world to raise awareness amongst chocolate lovers about their lives and challenges. The Kuapa farmers are very proud that they own a company in the UK and USA, and hearing about how well their business is doing is very motivating and exciting.

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Kuapa Kokoo owns 44% of Divine Chocolate and receives four income streams from their chocolate company. The first is the income from their cocoa bought at the guaranteed minimum Fairtrade price of $2000 per tonne ($2400 from October 2019), which protects the farmers from the volatility of the market.

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Demand for Fairtrade products (like Divine's chocolate) is increasing in the UK, and consumers are willing to pay extra for them.

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UK shoppers continue to show their support for Fairtrade, with new independent sales figures revealing that retail sales for Fairtrade grew by 7% in 2017, alongside increased business engagement.

The independent data from Kantar Worldpanel underline the extent to which the UK public continue to support Fairtrade. Volumes were also up, with a 2.5% growth in the 52 weeks ending 31 December 2017.

The figures back up the findings of the Fairtrade Foundation, which show public support for Fairtrade at an all-time high. New data shows that 93% of people are aware of Fairtrade while 83% of people trust the Fairtrade Mark.

Among the best performing categories was Fairtrade alcohol, which saw volume growth of 29%, driven in part by the continued growth of Co-op's Own Label Fairtrade wine as well as Tesco expanding their range of Finest Fairtrade wine. Elsewhere, the volume of frozen confectionary sold grew by more than 30%, with 2017 the year Ben and Jerry's launched their Non Dairy ice cream - a Fairtrade first in the UK.

These figures represent only one part of the Fairtrade picture, as they exclude out of home sales, through coffee shops and other outlets and the impact of Fairtrade's wider programme partnership work with companies such as Mondelez and Waitrose.

During the course of 2017 Fairtrade saw continued support from business. Among the more notable developments were: Co-op's commitment to switching all the cocoa it uses to Fairtrade and Waitrose's commitment to making 100% of its own-label tea Fairtrade.

Fairtrade is exploring new ways of working with business and has undertaken a supply chain mapping and transparency pilot, funded by the Department for International Development. Through this work Fairtrade is well placed to play an influential role as a partner to businesses looking to tackle human rights abuses and modern slavery risks in their supply chains.

It's a scandalous reality that millions of farmers and workers around the world are still being ripped off, despite working hard to provide the products we love. Despite the advances made by Fairtrade much more needs to be done.

The Fairtrade Foundation is calling on Fairtrade businesses to demonstrate why they support Fairtrade during Fairtrade Fortnight and show the impact it can have.
Commercial developments this Fairtrade Fortnight include:

Co-op becomes the first retailer to only use 100% Fairtrade roses when sourced from Africa in all of its flower bouquets. The move will see almost 35 million Fairtrade roses being sourced from Africa each year.

Both Aldi and Lidl have entered into global agreements with Fairtrade to increase the use of Fairtrade cocoa in their confectionery category across the UK and Europe.

Divine Chocolate announced its highest ever turnover (£14million) for the year 2016-17 with sales in the US passing the $10 million mark for the first time.

The news comes on the first day of the Fairtrade Fortnight "Come On In" campaign, calling on the public and businesses to stand with farmers to close the door on exploitation and ensure they get a fair deal.

The new figures are being released on the same day the Fairtrade Foundation unveiled a giant double doorway opening onto a scene from a banana farm on the Millennium Footbridge between St Paul's Cathedral and the Tate Modern, London.
Catherine David, Head of Commercial Partnerships said:
"It is wonderful to see the UK public continuing to support Fairtrade in getting a better deal for farmers and workers. We also continue to see amazing support from businesses who see the value in Fairtrade and the benefits it brings.

"We are always looking at new ways of working with our commercial partners, and our transparency work will allow companies to clearly see how working with Fairtrade can help their business.

"This Fairtrade Fortnight we are asking more people in the UK to come on in to Fairtrade and help forge a fairer future for the farmers and workers we rely on for many of our favourite products."
Tony Rowson, Head of Retail at Greggs, a key Fairtrade commercial partner, said:
"As a responsible business, we believe in doing the right thing and are incredibly proud to be a long-standing partner of Fairtrade. A number of our products, including coffee, tea, sugar and bananas, are certified Fairtrade and we continue to add more items to the menu, including green tea and peppermint tea more recently.

"Having worked with Fairtrade for over ten years now, it has been incredible to see the positive impact and difference it makes to producer communities and we look forward to strengthening our relationship further in the future."

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fairtrade fortnight 2018 uk consumers continue to embrace fairtrade as market grows

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Fairtrade Fortnight 2018 UK consumers continue to embrace Fairtrade as market grows

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UK shoppers continue to show their support for Fairtrade, with new independent sales figures revealing that retail sales for Fairtrade grew by 7% in 2017, alongside increased business engagement. The independent data from Kantar Worldpanel underline the extent to which the UK public continue to support Fairtrade.

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A key political issue Divine have to deal with is the increased government focus on reducing obesity rates

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Sweets and fatty snacks sold at checkouts and as part of supermarket deals will be banned under new government proposals to halve childhood obesity in England by 2030.

Tighter restrictions on junk food ads on TV and online are also planned, as well as mandatory calorie labelling on restaurant menus.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the measures gave "power to parents to make healthier choices".

The plans have been broadly welcomed.

The proposals form part of the government's updated Childhood Obesity Plan, which was widely criticised for being too weak when it was launched two years ago.

With one in three children now overweight or obese by the age of 11, this updated plan targets stores, industry and advertisers that use "pester power" to sell food high in fat, sugar and salt to children and families.

Active schools

It also pledges to "help close the deprivation gap" by looking at why children from poorer areas are more than twice as likely to be overweight.

The plan encourages all primary schools to introduce a daily "active mile" for children. Official advice recommends children should do 60 minutes of activity per day.

The measures, which will open for consultation by the end of the year, include:

Banning the sale of sweets and snacks at checkouts, shop entrances and in buy-one-get-one-free deals

New restrictions on advertising unhealthy food to children on TV and online, which could include a pre-9pm ban

Clear calorie labelling in restaurants, cafes and takeaways, to help families know what they are eating

Ending the sale of energy drinks containing high levels of caffeine, to children

Mr Hunt told the BBC that under the proposals all the big restaurant chains would have to provide calorie labelling, but there could be possible exemptions for smaller businesses.

He said the cost of obesity was too great to ignore.

"Parents are asking for help - we know that over three quarters of parents find offers for sugary sweets and snacks at checkouts annoying.

"It's our job to give power to parents to make healthier choices, and to make their life easier in doing so."

Halving childhood obesity in England in the next 12 years would mean 700,000 fewer children being obese by 2030, the government said.

Prof Dame Sally Davies, chief medical officer for England, called the plan "strong, robust and bold" while Public Health England said the steps announced would help "turn the tide" on the obesity epidemic.

Prof Russell Viner, from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health said the measures would "help all families to make healthy choices and make a real difference in the lives of children and young people".

Tim Elwell-Sutton, assistant director at the Health Foundation, said it was a "positive step forward" but "we await to see how these ideas will be turned into action", while Caroline Cerny, of the Obesity Health Alliance, urged "swift action" to "make these commitments a reality".

The British Retail Consortium said retailers were "fully committed" to the health of their customers.

Some supermarkets, including Tesco, Aldi and Waitrose, have already stopped selling sweets and chocolate at checkouts.

Scotland's First Minister set a target to cut child obesity by half by 2030 in May.

Scotland's Public Health Minister, Aileen Campbell, said the government would be setting out its diet and healthy weight delivery plan "very soon", adding that it had been "clear in its intention" to tackle price promotions on junk food.

What has already been done?

A sugar tax on manufacturers who sell high-sugar drinks came into force in April in the UK.

It means some drinks have increased in price while other brands have cut the sugar content of their drinks to avoid the levy.

The tax currently doesn't cover flavoured milk drinks but it could in the future.

The jury is still out on whether the tax will have the intended effect of putting people off buying and consuming sugary soft drinks, which are thought to be the biggest contributor to obesity.

Public Health England has also started a programme challenging manufacturers to reduce sugar content in products like cakes, biscuits and cereals by 20% over the next four years.

How bad is the UK's obesity problem?

The UK has one of the highest proportions of overweight and obese children in the EU.

In England, 22% of children are overweight or obese when they start school at the age of four or five, increasing to 34% during their time at primary school.

Recent figures show that one in 25 children aged 10 or 11 is severely obese.

Children are measured in different ways and at different ages across the UK.

In Wales, 26% of children aged four to five are overweight or obese, and in Scotland 14% of under-16s are at risk of obesity.

Childhood obesity is a worldwide problem, but it's estimated to cost the UK economy £27bn a year, and the NHS around £5bn, in treating illnesses related to the issue, such as type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer.

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Checkout sweets targeted in obesity fight

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Sweets and fatty snacks sold at checkouts and as part of supermarket deals will be banned under new government proposals to halve childhood obesity in England by 2030. Tighter restrictions on junk food ads on TV and online are also planned, as well as mandatory calorie labelling on restaurant menus.

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Cadbury Dairy Milk leads on consumer trust

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92% of Brits eat chocolate; 59% do so daily

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Chocolate brands look to cater to health trends through product development

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Improved household incomes give opportunities for premium products

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Sales volume of chocolate grew in 2018

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Rising prices of chocolate

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UK Chocolate Confectionary Market Report

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UK Chocolate Confectionary Market Report

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UK Chocolate Confectionery Industry Report (Updated 2019) | Mintel.com

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Click here now for the most comprehensive market research reports on UK Chocolate Confectionery. In-depth, insightful, invaluable market intelligence.