Heidi's net sales up by 30 percent

Chocolate producer Heidi Chocolats Suisse S.A. posted net sales worth 13.5 million Swiss Francs (some €8.5 million) in 2006, and recorded a 30 percent increase in the first months of 2007, up to some €10 million.

The company has a market share exceeding 5 percent, following a 0.5 percent increase in the first two months of 2007. Company officials estimate that their share will rise to 6 percent by the end of the year. The domestic chocolate market is estimated to be worth some €120 million. Dark chocolate and pralines are best sellers in Romania. Heidi recently launched luxury brands Heidi Dark, Heidi Creamy and Heidi

Grand’Or on the market, and opened a store in Bucharest for these products. Some 25 percent of Heidi products are sold in Bucharest.

Heidi Chocolats Suisse is the first foreign chocolate producer to come to Romania. The company began operations in the country in 1994, with 15 employees. It currently employs more than 300 people, has become one of the major local producers, and main competitors are Kandia-Excelent, Kraft Foods Romania and Supreme Chocolats.

Romania is among European countries with the lowest chocolate consumption.  Romanians ate an average 1.9 kilograms of chocolate per capita last year, compared to Europe’s largest consumer, Switzerland, where per capita consumption was 11 kilograms of chocolate.  Chocolate consumption is some 4 kg per capita in Hungary, 3 kg in Greece and 1.93 kg in Portugal.