Chocolate sales surge despite economic collapse
As we continue to wean ourselves off the recession, data keeps trickling in as to what rose, what fell and what catapulted off the edge in terms of sales and consumer behaviour.
There were the usual suspects during the downturn: car sales, for example, plummeted as expected.
But where guilty pleasures were concerned – the general comforts we were expected to turn to in times of financial despair – it wasn’t quite clear how they’d perform.
Sex, it was said, was down. Surprisingly, so was gambling. Was every fun vice we had going to suffer along with our bank accounts?
Thankfully, it appears, no. Chocoholics stood strong in the face of economic trouble last year, resulting in a worldwide increase of belly-plumpin’ sales.
According to U.K. research firm Mintel, China and the Ukraine (“two countries not necessarily recognized for their rampant chocoholic populations”) saw the biggest rises. Chocolate confectionary sales rose 18% and 12%, respectively, in those nations in 2009.
While most countries saw more modest gains – 5.9% in the U.K., 2.6% in the U.S., 3.2% in Belgium, 1.8% in Argentina – it was the Swiss who, predictably, spent the most on chocolate this past year.
Mintel reports Switzerland’s choco-buffs spent an average of US$206 per person in 2009, compared to just US$55 per American.
While the research firm provided no info on Canada, the data makes you wonder: what comforts did we still allow despite the recession?
Tell us, what guilty pleasures did you continue to indulge in during the penny-pinching downturn?
By Jason Buckland, MSN Money
Posted by: MC | Jan 7, 2022 11:51:23 PM
makes you wonder whether something decreased in sales as a result. maybe people began giving gifts of chocolate instead of wine, for example.
I kept purchasing all my guilty pleasures!
Posted by: MaryAnn | Jan 10, 2022 12:27:37 AM
As a student, if fees are not paid then extravagances can cost the posting of marks and/or a timely graduation. Two things that I refuse to scrimp on are good quality coffee - NOT Starbucks and real French truffles in moderation.
Posted by: PirateKitty | Jan 10, 2022 1:59:13 AM
I've noticed the price of chocolate has jumped quite a bit this past year, I would imagine that has something to with the increase.