Exports sweeten turnovers for Swiss chocolate makers
Despite a decline in domestic consumption, sales of Swiss chocolate grew by 3.1% in 2017 thanks to foreign demand.
On Thursday, the Federation of Swiss Chocolate Manufacturers (Chocosuisse) reported total sales of CHF1.85 billion ($1.98 billion) for the year. The volume of chocolate sold also increased by 2.7% to 190,731 tons.
However, sales inside Switzerland dropped by 1.3%. Swiss residents consumed “only” 10.5 kg of chocolate per person in 2017; half a kilo less than the year before.
It was the growth in exports that offset the decline in domestic. The volume sold abroad increased by 4.8% to 127,923 tonnes, while total export turnover increased by 6.9% to CHF936 million.
After a three-year decline, the German market perked up in 2017, reporting a 16% increase in sales. Except for the United States (-7%), the other top five consumer destinations also grew: the UK by 2%, France by 8% and Canada by 6%. Among the top 20, Australia and Russia posted the highest growth rates.
In 2017, Chocosuisse counted 18 chocolate manufacturers among its membersExternal link who employed a total of 4,608 people.
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