As Cadbury India finds itself mired in the worms controversy, Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation, which makes Amul chocolates, has witnessed a surge in sales.
After selling 60 tonnes of chocolate in September, the company was on course to report sales of 150 tonnes in October and had projected sales of 250 tonnes in November, a GCMMF executive told Business Standard.
| |||||||||||
In Mumbai, which accounts for almost 10 per cent of the 4,000 tonne, Rs 650 crore (Rs 6.50 billion) a year chocolate market in India, the company plans to raise its market share from 2 per cent in the beginning of October to 15 per cent by the end of the month.
"We will sell 20 tonnes this month in Mumbai, against only 2 tonnes in October last year," the GCMMF executive said.
According to the executive, while 20 per cent of the growth in Amul's sales in recent days has been because of the Cadbury factor, the recent brand launches by the company and the increased focus of GCMMF on chocolates have contributed 40 per cent each to the rise in the numbers.
In an attempt to boost sales, the company has launched three new chocolates in Mumbai under the brands Fundoo, Bindaas and Almond Bar.
While the first two have been priced at Rs 10 for a 30 gm stick, Almond Bar carries a price tag of Rs 10 for a 35 gm chocolate.
As a result, the company's festival season pack "Rejoice" now comes with six chocolates in the city, up from three during the festive season last year.
"A national launch of the three brands is likely to happen in a month's time," the official added.
Encouraged by the rising numbers, GCMMF has drawn up plans to make its chocolate business a separate division of the company.
"We think that the business requires a special focus and this is the best way to do it," the official added.
Cadbury India is the largest player in the Indian chocolate market, followed by Nestle India and Amul.
