Every year the demand for healthier sweets and snacks only grows. Figures from the newest "Maxima Retail Compass" overview reveal that 24.8% of the Latvians eat sweets every day and 42.3% eat them several times a week, at the same time the population is increasingly thinking about healthy lifestyle, thus seeking healthier alternatives to sweets.
Zane Kaktiņa, Head of the Business Analytics Department at "Maxima Latvija", says: "Overall, sales data reveal that the content of shopping carts is getting healthier, but that doesn't mean we're giving up on sweets completely. By studying the overall content of the daily shopping cart, we can see from the sales data that sweets make up 5.4% of all daily purchases – 1.3% of them being baked goods and 4.1% are chocolate, chocolate candies, bars and other sweets."
Toms Didrihsons, Chairman of the Board of "Orkla Confectionery & Snacks Latvija", adds: "By developing our manufacturing processes and expanding our product line, we can offer consumers sweets that can satisfy their different tastes – including those who are looking for healthier alternatives to sweets. In Latvia, residents consider snacks, which are made from natural ingredients such as berries and nuts, to be healthy. Looking at different groups of sweets, the consumers in Latvian consider the dark chocolate sweets a healthier option."
The “Maxima Retail Compass” is a comprehensive industry overview in which experts from the retail chain “Maxima Latvija” give their opinion on the current situation in the retail industry and its future development trends. The overview is based on “Maxima Latvija” data, in addition to enlisting the best researchers from market and public opinion research company SKDS, and using data from the Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia, Eurostat, Euromonitor, OECD and other sources. The Maxima Retail Compass is comprised of three parts: an evaluation of the effect of the Latvian economy on the retail sector; a survey of the shopping habits of Latvian residents and the effect of macroeconomic indicators on these habits; and a relevant industry issue. In this overview, the relevant industry issue was the Latvian confectionery market and how global trends impact the local market, as well as a summary of the public’s confectionery choice habits during the holiday period while also looking at habits associated with Christmas dinner preparation. The review of the confectionery industry was conducted in collaboration with SIA “Orkla Confectionery & Snacks Latvija”.
The survey was undertaken in collaboration with the market and public opinion research company SKDS in October 2018. 1,005 respondents between the ages of 18 and 74 took part.
Information to the media:
Liene Dupate-Ugule
Head of Communications, SIA "Maxima Latvija"
Tel.: 26425420
e-mail: liene.dupate@maxima.lv
www.maxima.lv