Stuffed
The British seem to be going off chocolate, but some bits of the market are doing deliciously well. It’s usually nice to top an international league, but perhaps not this one. In the matter of chocolate consumption, Britain is the most self-indulgent country among the world’s big economies.
That may not last. Perhaps brow-beaten by the obesity scaremonger^, perhaps disgusted by their inability to see their toes, the British seem to be going off chocolate. The market has been static for five years and this is troubling Nestle, Cadbury and Master-foods, the three firms that dominate the British industry. "It's a saturated market,” says Jeremy Cunnington, an analyst for Euro monitor, a market research agency. "Penetration has gone as far as it can.” Mintel, another market research firm, agrees, predicting a slight drop in sales volume by 2006. With profits constrained by tight pricing on supermarket shelves, firms will focus more and more on extending a few super brands with lasting appeal, subsuming existing products into them and trying to improve sales value rather than volume.
If they do, it will continue a trend towards emphasising established brand names instead of new ones. Cadbury has stopped selling its Caramel products under their old names, bundling them under the Dairy Milk brand instead. Nestle has been tinkering with its own big name, Kit Kat. A new version of the snack, Chunky, was launched in 1999, followed by bite-sized Kubes in 2003. There was even talk recently of a lemon cheesecake flavour — apparently popular with the Japanese and the Germans.
Not all the news is gloomy, though. There are lively niche markets, where consumers’ sharpening social consciences and growing fondness for luxury have been lifting sales.
Clever companies satisfy both at once. Green & Black’s, a small firm that sells expensive, organic GM-free chocolate, has seen its sales rise five-fold since 1999 to £23.4m in 2003. The firm has recently been moving away from its green roots to focus on its premium credentials, but “organic” and “premium'’ arc linked in many people’s minds.
The "fair trade” segment is another impressive performer. Such organizations guarantee producers in poor countries a minimum price, shielding them from the ups and downs of the world cocoa market. Figures from the Fair Trade Foundation show that Britain ate just over 1,000 tonnes of their chocolate in 2003, up from 82 tonnes in 1998 — a 12-fold increase in five years, albeit from a very low base. The big players are beginning to cotton on, with the Co-op, a supermarket chain, announcing in 2002 that it would source all its own-brand chocolate from "fair trade” suppliers. Most British supermarkets now offer some sort of “fair trade" chocolate.
So wall posh, socially responsible chocolate conquers the market? Unlikely, says Mr. Cunnington. Luxury firms do not compete directly against the big companies — indeed their products have little in common. Most British chocolate contains vegetable solids, and tastes quite different from the “real" chocolate that the luxury firms offer. As for “fair trade”, higher prices for producers mean higher prices for consumers, limiting its appeal to a cost-conscious public. Although the two sectors are expected to continue growing strongly, they are unlikely to escape from their niches. The cocoa-leaf readers see a future of consolidation, limited innovation and a gentle decline in sales volume. Lemon cheesecake Kit Kats all round, then.
seems to be one reason why the British are going off chocolate.
The British chocolate market has remained for five years.
Clever companies try to improve sales by catering to markets.
chocolate suppliers have entered big supermarkets because of their practice with poor countries.
AI explanationShows the answer. Tap to open.
Question Focus: Cause for reduced chocolate consumption
Correct Answer: Obesity
Why this is correct: The passage explains that people may be turning away from chocolate because they feel pressured by obesity concerns. The summary shortens this idea, and obesity is the exact word taken from the passage.
Passage Reference: Perhaps brow-beaten by the obesity scaremonger^, perhaps disgusted by their inability to see their toes
Common Mistake: Students may write health problems or weight gain, but these ideas are not the exact words used. You MUST copy a word from the passage. This is a synonym trap.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'obesity scaremonger' = Summary: 'one reason why the British are going off chocolate'
Tips: When the summary asks for a reason, look for cause words like 'because' or 'by' in the passage.
Key Vocabulary:
- obesity = being very overweight
- scaremonger = someone who spreads fear
Question Focus: Market condition over time
Correct Answer: static
Passage Reference: The market has been static for five years
Why this is correct: The passage clearly says the chocolate market has been static for five years. The summary repeats this idea using almost the same wording.
Common Mistake: Some students write stable or unchanged, but these are not the exact passage words. This is a synonym trap.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'has been static for five years' = Summary: 'has remained ___ for five years'
Tips: If the summary sentence looks very similar to the passage, copy the exact word you see.
Key Vocabulary:
- static = not changing
- market = buying and selling activity
Question Focus: Type of market companies target
Correct Answer: niche
Passage Reference: There are lively niche markets, where consumers' sharpening social consciences and growing fondness for luxury have been lifting sales.
Why this is correct: The passage says there are lively niche markets that increase sales. The summary shortens this to say companies cater to niche markets.
Common Mistake: Students sometimes write luxury or social because those ideas appear nearby, but the market type is called niche. This is a partial truth trap.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'lively niche markets' = Summary: 'catering to ___ markets'
Tips: Do not overthink. If the same word appears in the passage, that is usually your answer.
Key Vocabulary:
- niche = small special group
- cater to = provide what is wanted
Question Focus: Suppliers entering supermarkets due to ethical practices
Correct Answer: Fair trade
Passage Reference: The "fair trade' segment is another impressive performer. Such organizations guarantee producers in poor countries a minimum price, shielding them from the ups and downs of the world cocoa market. Figures from the Fair Trade Foundation show that Britain ate just over 1,000 tonnes of their chocolate in 2003, up from 82 tonnes in 1998 - a 12-fold increase in five years, albeit from a very low base. The big players are beginning to cotton on, with the Co-op, a supermarket chain, announcing in 2002 that it would source all its own-brand chocolate from "fair trade' suppliers. Most British supermarkets now offer some sort of 'fair trade" chocolate.
Why this is correct: The passage explains that fair trade organizations support producers in poor countries, and big supermarkets now sell their products. This matches the summary exactly.
Common Mistake: Some students write organic because it appears earlier, but organic is about ingredients, not helping poor countries. This is a context shift trap.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'fair trade organizations guarantee producers in poor countries' = Summary: 'because of their practice with poor countries'
Tips: When ethics or poor countries are mentioned, scan for labels like 'fair trade' in the passage.
Key Vocabulary:
- fair trade = ethical buying system
- suppliers = companies that provide products
General Tips:
- Summary completion questions follow passage order. Find gap 1, then move forward for the next answers.
- Always copy the exact word from the passage. Do not use your own synonym.
- Check the word limit carefully. Even one extra word makes the answer wrong.
- Use grammar clues. Words like 'has remained' or a noun before the gap tell you the word type you need.
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