Snack eating formally or unformally defined, is an activity resulting from changing consumer behavior patents and it is one where chocolate confectionary plays a major role.
The chocolate confectionary market is commonly divided onto three main sectors:
- Boxed assortments, consisting of a selection of high added value individual units, enrobed in chocolate.
- Molded chocolate bars, with or without inclusions such as nuts or fruit, or possible filled with soft caramels, fondants, etc.
- Countlines consisting of a single individual center, enrobed in chocolate, usually in a format that allows a one handed eat. Centers can be combinations of wafer biscuit, caramel, nougatine, etc. Countline items sold by number rather than by weight.
The products form all three sectors form part of the snack market, although this depends to a certain extent on the occasion and the physical format of the product. Countlines are very definitely part of the modern eat on the move, informal eating patterns of the modern snacking consumer. The same is true of molded bars in their smaller offerings. In the larger pack sizes, molded bars are more likely to be eaten with the family or friends whilst relaxing at home – a different but equally important snacking occasion.
The product sector that falls least easily into snack market is “assortment” with their connotations of special occasions, relatively high cost. But even here, products at the less formal, less costly end of the range, usually consisting of a mixture of foil and twisty wrapped units, loosed packed into cartons, probably serve as snacks in some circumstances.
Chocolate Confectionary as A snack