Industry and trade want to diversify Easter items

On the domestic economic downturn scenario, manufacturers and retailers have decided to invest in offering cheaper alternatives to traditional Easter eggs and products associated with the date to increment the recipe.
With the chocolate eggs coming out of factories with prices of 2% to 8% higher compared to last year, consumers are researching to find cheaper options and diversifying the shopping basket, say manufacturers. Because of this, supermarket believe that lower basis weight products and the chocolates are the most popular items during the date, since at points of sales, they are 10% more expensive, on average.
Research conducted by the Brazilian Association of Supermarkets (Open) proves this trend. In the category of chocolate eggs with up to 150 grams there was increase of 5.9% in orders to industry. The boxes of chocolates were discharged from 4.6% followed by the chocolate bars with 2.9% more searches for Easter.
With the prospect of sales equal to last year, when there were high of 7%, chocolate eggs above 500 grams had 6.7% fall in orders to industry. The entity showed that 26.9 percent of supermarket Brazilians are optimistic and believe that sales will be higher than those of 2014. On the other hand, the percentage of entrepreneurs who expects drop in sales is 17.3%. The explanation for the dismal are the prices, about 10% more expensive and consumers less willing to spend.
Supermarkets
Despite the signs that it is Easter will be more modest compared to previous years, some supermarkets still betting on the date. At Walmart, for example, the anticipation of the sales should help boost earnings in the period. "Sales have already started. During this period pré-Páscoa, the small eggs are the most sold. And with eggs smaller than Walmart expects a higher growth in sales over Easter last year. In this segment, the company expects an increase of 10%, "reported the network, in a note to the DCI.
For the period the net started negotiating with its suppliers in advance. "For next week is expected to grow 7% in sales compared to 2014. To bring low prices, negotiations with national suppliers and imports begin to be articulated until six months before the date ".
The network said, however, that even with the anticipated availability of products, last minute sales will define whether the 2015 Easter was good or not. "More than 70% of the total number of Easter eggs are sold at five days before Easter. Television ads were aired yesterday, to remind the consumer that it's time to think on the date. We got eggs from $ 2.49. Next Easter egg sale grows with free gifts and toys ", highlights the Walmart, in a note.
Small and medium-sized
Smaller networks can also be programmed with certain advance to the date. The mineira Opa-central Network that aggregates nine supermarkets Associates-sales estimates 15% larger in comparison to 2014. "We had a very satisfactory negotiation, which enabled us a percentage of the minimal increase to the consumer," said the network's administrative Manager, Warley Duarte. The main partner of the network industries to seasonality were the Arcor and Lacta.
So far, Duarte said that stocks are in line with expectations but the Opa Network and their associates does not rule out the possibility of creating promotions to spawn the leftovers. "We believe that all our stocks are in demand to serve our customers. If necessary, at the end of the campaign, we will take a more incisive action in the products that they don't get out ", says the Executive in an interview.
Chocolaterias
The CRM Group, owner of the trademarks and Cocoa, Brazil Copenhagen also wants to ensure revenue from the sale of products of the regular line. "Consumers don't just search the chocolate into egg, then in the traditional line we see a high of 50% in sales," says the Group's Vice President, Renata Vichi. She explains that in the Easter seasonal products come to represent 53% of the Group's sales, while the traditional line gets 37% of sales and the cafeteria with the rest of the amount moved. "The traditional line products are used a lot to compose kits", says the Executive. According to her, this format more often present in brand Cocoa Brazil, with most affordable prices that the main line of the group, Kopenhagen.
According to Renata, the company estimates that sales will grow 14% compared to the same period in 2014. But, to ensure a sales stimulus, the Group promotes CRM today in every brand stores tasting cocoa Brazil one of the chocolate eggs that compose the portfolio of the brand.
At Hammad, the product kits, called arrangements, also appear as an alternative. "Instead of buying an egg for each one, the consumer buys a product for the whole family", bet the marketing manager of chocolate, Camila Marconi.
The manufacturer also included in portfolio eggs in cheaper versions, as the line of eggs harvested, which replaces the deviled eggs.
Already the Lugano, with operations in the South of the country, don't expect to have sales affected by the unfavourable economic environment, ensures the manufacturer's commercial Director, William Light. For him, for having a target audience with greater purchasing power, sales keeps pace.
"We don't believe a fall in average sales ticket, but we will only confirm that for the past two weeks, when the sale actually takes place," says he. The Lugano expects record high of about 17% in sales volume in the period, in comparison with Easter last year.
Add-on
To boost sales, the manufacturers also invest in the provision of other related products to date, as the colomba pascal. "The colomba is more for personal consumption, with the leading egg sales, but it's still a product that consumers want," says Marconi, from Hammad.
In paulista Ofner, the calls have increased in sales importance palomas and represent 40% of the total of seasonal products marketed at Easter. "They always had enough emphasis on brand and complement the varieties that we bring to the consumer," explains commercial Director of Ofner, Laury Roman.
According to him, often to sell this product, intended primarily for the personal consumption happens when consumers go to the store search types and prices of eggs to buy last week.
The Village, which sells the products in supermarkets, has on children's line with licensed characters colombas, the main appeal for sales. "The character helps a lot on sale for the children, but the sale in this product category has remained stable in recent years," says marketing executive and the company's sales, Reinaldo Bertagnon.
The Pandurata, owner of 1906 marks and Visconti, bet on low cost of colomba a factor that could stimulate sales. "At a time of spending restraint, we realize consumers more price-conscious and the product is of low disbursement," says the marketing manager of 1906, Renata Del of course. The expectation is that sales executive of the product in the two brands stay in line with last year.