3 September 2008 - NATRA takes a step forward in its consolidation as one of the leading groups in food production and commercialization of products derived from cocoa and chocolate by opening its first sales office in China and a second office in the United States.
These two new branches will join the international network of NATRA, which currently has five factories in Europe, from where it produces 115,000 tons of chocolate products annually, and a trade office in the West coast of the United States.
NATRA begins its business activity in China driven by the continued growth of the company's clients in the Asian market. At present, NATRA is found, through its PLB products, in 24 of the 30 largest retail groups in Europe, such as Carrefour, Metro Group, Tesco, Lidl or Groupe Auchan, amongst others. From its new office in Shangai, NATRA will supply cocoa and chocolate products aimed at Chinese clients.
The Chinese market represents less than 1% of the total world consumption of chocolate products, according to Euromonitor International, but Western influence and changing habits have triggered annual growth of these products to remain above 10%. A figure well above the 1-2% annual growth registered in Europe, where NATRA recorded 90% of its turnover, continuing to lead the global consumption.
Rise of Private Label in the United States
Besides, the group strengthens its position in the U.S. market with a new local office in California, at a time when sales of PLB products are soaring in the United Stated due to the economic situation. The latest data collected by Nielsen (June 2008) in the U.S. market reflects how consumers have changed their buying habits, forced by economic recession, enabling a growth in the consumption of PLB products above 10%, against a 3,2% growth for branded products. This trend and the competitive pricing policy of the European distribution groups established in the United States are determining the strategies of the major U.S. retail chains, which begin to manage the loyalty of their customers through their own private labels.
Throughout the country, PLB products can be found at an average of 17.3% compared to branded products. Nielsen estimates that, within the confectionary category, PLB products will record a growth of 27% in 2008.