“The first country we entered, in 2007, was Bulgaria, where we are present in hypermarkets and we even had a promotion campaign in 2008. The feedback was positive, and our net sales are increasing nicely in Bulgaria. We want Primola and Anidor to become regional brands,” the manager of Supreme Group, Jihad Jabra, told Business Standard.
The company’s strategy to expand exports also targets the coffee segment, as Supreme Group’s portfolio includes a coffee processing factory. “We will continue the collaboration with Kraft Foods for the production of the Nova Brasilia brand, but we have succeeded to sign a contract with a major supermarket chain in Central Europe for this year. It is surprising how we got this contract, considering that Romania is the only country with excises,” said Jabra.
Moreover, Supreme plans to raise its local market share in 2009 by promoting its brands more effectively and diversifying its products, considering that only a few percentages stand between Supreme and Cadbury, the second-largest chocolate producer locally.
The chocolate market is rather concentrated, as the top three players – Kraft Foods, Cadbury, and Supreme Chocolat – total over 70 percent in terms of volume, according to market studies. The value of the Romanian sweets market amounts to some €250 million.
