Swiss chocolate sales rose in 2014, but Swiss consumption down, imports up

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND – This year will be a difficult one for Swiss chocolate-makers, with a high franc and rising prices for raw materials, notably cocoa.

In addition, per capita consumption at home fell from 12 kg to 11.7 kg – and imported chocolate continued to take a larger bite of the market. Imports now account for more than 37 percent, and they have doubled their share in the past 15 years.

Profits rose in 2014 for the 18 members of Chocosuisse, the industry association, up 2.7 percent to CHF1.72 billion. Sales were down significantly, however, in Switzerland and to the industry’s two major export markets, the UK and Germany. The losses were compensated for by higher sales in newer markets.

The major Swiss chocolate companies produced 183,738 tons of chocolate, with sales abroad reaching 62.8 percent of the total, up from 61.2 percent in 2013. The 2014 total was 4,900 tons more than the industry produced a year earlier.