They are all here, …

The French fair trade organic chocolates (the one with the pink shelf-talkers on the picture) under the spotlight in this supermarket of New-Paltz (6,818 inhabitants at the last census) in the county of Ulster of the State of New York.

It is the store manager who took the initiative to reserve the best location of the shelf as he felt in love with the French organic fair / trade chocolate!!

Barely 1 year since the first order left in the USA

No triumphalism, everything remains to be done to conquer the 1st world market of organic food (alone greater than the entire EU market).

However, in addition to the steel motivation and unparalleled professionalism of the local importing partner; these first signs of consumer and distributor craze are really encouraging.

Two new references will enrich the range that will be presented at the NYC Fancy Food Show in late June.

Two new bio trade-fair chocolate bars at Ekoplaza, the leading organic supermarkets in the Netherlands

It is always a particular victory to have a French product listed in the Nederland, a market renowned for its penchant for the lowest price, sometimes to the detriment of the taste and nutritional qualities of the products. These two new bars bring to 10 the number of bars stocked in this network.

Our strengths facing the competition of organic multinationals

As always, we are facing powerful international brands, supported by significant promotion budgets and offering extended ranges. In order to win, we promote our own cocoa supply chains in Sao Tomé, Dominican Republic, Ecuador and Peru; guaranteeing a traceability, a true Trade-Fair policy and the distinctive flavors inherent to these great terroirs of chocolate.

Exporting French confectioneries as chocolates, a challenge

Difficult indeed to get foreign buyers acquainted to the chocolate the French way, strongly tasting cocoa. This is not the norm of many foreign markets that have accustomed their consumers to “chocolates” loaded with butter and sugar and therefore more flattering to the palate. Moreover, since cocoa is more expensive than sweets and fats, french prices are not the best price oriented in the marketplaces.

Quite a big order for thsi artisan chocolate factory

In total, it is 3,630 boxes 300 g of pralines and 12,960 subjects in Easter chocolate that are shipped today in Denmark. In fact, it is the largest export delivery ever recorded by this artisanal chocolate factory in Normandy.

A bespoke product tailored to the distributor brand.

Indeed, it was on the instructions of the local partner that the product was designed and manufactured. In order to optimize sales, it is a choice of low on sugar chocolates that was made according to the Danish taste.

French Artisan Chocolates in the Danish discount retail trade.

These products are intended for Danish retailers. More precisely, to the NETTO discount chain, the 500 stores will be the ambassadors of French chocolate.

Biofach, a new business-maker fair if it is well prepared upstream

It is an established fact, the offer to be displayed on a trade show must be prepared well in advance. In addition, a special care must be taken to make appointments with buyers.

Only then can the salon be profitable. Thus a first order can be registered in the weeks that follow.

Take good care of your trade agreement & set sales objectives

In this case, it made possible to sign a distributorship agreement with a major Swedish importer / distributor for artisanal organic chocolates within three months following the show. On top, it is a very specialized distributor with top-ranking references.

The target was a sales target of 2.2 tons (± 20.00 € / kg) of chocolate candy in the first year. Seven to ten tons in the third year. To this end, a contract has been passed specifying both a marketing plan and sales objectives, which can be reviewed annually.

One year was necessary to develop the range (4 SKU’s to start) and to obtain the specific certifications for the US market, notably the NON GMO required by the most important American distributor Bio – and even of the world – WHOLE FOOD MARKET.

The US market is from far the world’s leading organic market with 44% of market share in the world (compared with 42% for Europe in its entirety); It is therefore a considerable stake in terms of turnover.

After Easter, it’s Christmas for the Norman organic chocolate factory with a large order of craft subjects.

Coping with the international competition, often less qualitative, but also generally much cheaper, this is an excellent result that this listing in the 475 NETTO stores..

The reason NETTO supermarkets (475 stores) chose the artisanal chocolatier from Normand-dy; it is for an excellent reason it was not possible for them to find a matching quality at a fair price elsewhere.

Beautiful contrast on Belgian and Swiss industrial colleagues who do not have the same qualitative idea of chocolates than French; far from it!

The projected sales for Xmas in year 1 of this luxurious printed and embossed metal box (30 chocolate candies) are between 10,000 & 20,000 SKUs.