KXC Kandy-Blog

UK News - Research and Markets  has announced the addition of Snapshots UK Confectionery 2007 to their offering.

Snapshots UK Confectionery 2007 provides 2005 year-end market size data, with 2006 estimates, 4 years of historical data and five-year forecasts. The Snapshots report gives an instant overview of the UK confectionery market, and covers chocolate confectionery and sugar confectionery. Market value is based on retail sales. The data is supplied in both graphical and tabular format for ease of interpretation and analysis.

Snapshots Report Overview:

Executive Summary
The Executive Summary within a Snapshots report outlines the main findings of the report (market size, market shares and market forecasts)

Market size
Market size is the measure of the total value or volume of a particular product sold in a particular length of time. In our case it is the total amount of the market covered by a title in the last whole year, for example, in UK Beer 2005, all the beer consumed in the UK in 2004. The aim of the report is to tell how much of the product was consumed in the country discussed by value and by volume.

Market Segmentation
Market Segmentation is a segmentation of the market by key product categories, ideally by value and volume. For example: the yoghurt market can be segmented into: drinking yoghurt, flavoured yoghurt and natural yoghurt.

Market Share
Market Share is the share of each competitor in the market place and can be expressed in value or volume terms.

Market Share by Volume - each competitor’s share of the total Market Volume

Market Share by Value - each competitor’s share of the total Market Value

Distribution
This measure of the market relates to the different distribution channels to market for each product. The distribution can include the following channels
Consumer Goods example:
Supermarket
Hypermarket
Discount Store
Corner shop
Internet
Etc

Socio-Economic data
The key socio-economic indicators in each report will be:

Size of population

GDP - Gross Domestic Product

Inflation rate

Exchange rate

Forecasts
All market forecasts are based on statistical forecasting techniques based on historic performance (linear extrapolation of the market size, based on the five-year historical growth). These statistical tools are supplemented with qualitative parameters such as: industry expectation/opinion. Socio-economic drivers, new product development, technological advances, expected levels of market saturation etc.

For more information visit

 http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c61835

SOURCE: Research and Markets

For the last couple of months our forum has been the victim of an average of 20 Spambot registrations per day. In an attempt to prevent this we have implemented some new security processes behind the scenes. A close eye will be kept on this to monitor the effectiveness of our new security measures.

Hopefully this will prevent, or at least reduce the number of, unwanted Spam appearing on the forum. Remember, if you spot any spam posts on the forum to report it to us so we can keep the forum clear of unwanted advertising, malicious and pornographic content.

If the added security works it will free up a lot of time each day so we can work on the items that we need to make our club better rather than just wasting time deleting malicious posts and Spam registrations and memberships.

We’ll let you know how we get on.

World News - Cadbury Schweppes has launched its bubblegum brand Bubbaloo in India, to tap into one of the world’s fastest-growing bubblegum markets. Cadbury India’s managing director, Anand Kripalu, said: “Bubbaloo, along with Halls and Éclairs, complements our confectionery portfolio.”

Bubbaloo, which is sold in 25 countries, is a centre-filled bubblegum with a liquid flavour. It will be priced at 1 rupee (about a penny) per unit in India and will be backed by a marketing campaign featuring mascot Bubba the cat.

Liquid-centre-filled gum has been rolled out across 16 markets through Cadbury brands including Trident, Hollywood and most recently Dirol in Russia. Cadbury said revenues from centre-filled gum are set to double to £200m in 2007 as the company “drives the growth of this platform with new flavours, formats and further geographic expansion”. This year Cadbury Schweppes launched Trident chewing gum in the UK, to compete with the long-time market leader Wrigley’s and take a share of Britain’s £ 240m chewing gum market.

Source: The Independent

USA News - $18.5M asking price for chocolate factory; layoffs follow.

As Hershey begins its first round of layoffs at its Oakdale plant Monday, it is trying to sell the soon-to-be-empty chocolate factory for $18.5 million.

Last Friday was the last day for 99Oakdale employees who work on the Hershey’s Kisses and Kisses With Almonds production lines.

Hershey is closing the plant in phases, with another production line scheduled to shut down in the fall. The chocolate factory, which employs 575 people, will close in January.

Employees said they could not comment on the layoffs because they had to sign confidentiality agreements, under the threat of losing their severance packages.

The Oakdale plant closure is part of a restructuring plan by Hershey that will transfer some candy production to a new plant in Mexico. The candy company has closed five other plants in the United States and Canada this year, resulting in thousands of layoffs.

Hershey has contracted with CB Richard Ellis, a major commercial real estate firm based in Los Angeles, to sell the Oakdale plant.

A brief listing for the chocolate factory appears in the July brochure of CB Richard Ellis’ Monthly Exclusive Listings, along with an aerial photograph of the buildings.

It lists the sale price at $18.5million, and says it includes the 417,000-square-foot main plant as well as a nut storage building, a tank, bean storage areas, a “Dudley” building and a temperature-controlled warehouse. The property sits on 85acres.

Representatives from CB Richard Ellis did not return phone calls.

Rich Murdoch, an Oakdale contractor and developer, said he has been working with the real estate firm to recruit businesses that might be interested in the site.

A water bottling company has visited and shown interest in the 130,000-square-foot warehouse adjacent to the main plant, Murdoch said.

That building houses Graham Packaging, which contracts with Hershey to make the plastic bottles used for Hershey chocolate syrup.

Graham has started to scale back its operations and will close its plant by the end of the year, company spokesman Donald Sarvey said.

Its 25 employees will be offered transfers to another Graham plant or severance packages, Sarvey said. More than 10 employees already have transferred to other plants.

It remains to be seen whether one employer will scoop up all of the Hershey buildings, or whether the land will be subdivided, Murdoch said.

“As a developer, there is a lot of value in the land that goes with that property,” Murdoch said. “If you look at the square footage of the building, it is not much yield. You could build a whole industrial park out of that property.”

Speculation about what type of company might move into the site is varied. A cheese maker, jelly bean factory, food processor and winery have been mentioned by industry insiders as possible buyers.

“It could be warehousing, distribution or it could be manufacturing. There are several uses,” said Doug Sweetland, economic development director for the Stanislaus Economic Development and Workforce Alliance.

A clearer picture might emerge once Hershey removes its manufacturing equipment, and potential buyers can view the site, Sweetland said.

Hershey will remove its equipment in phases, although the company did not provide a timeline. The buildings will be vacant by February, according to the real estate listing.

The plant is somewhat dated, but it has been well-maintained by Hershey over the years, Sweetland said. Its sheer size — 615,000 square feet in buildings, plus dozens of acres of vacant land — could be one of its best selling points.

“There are very few of that size in the valley,” Sweetland said.

Oakdale Public Works Director John Word said the Hershey plant has “very adequate” water supply and fire protection, which could help draw employers.

Hershey has two private wells that supply its groundwater, which is cheaper than pulling water from the city.

Modesto Irrigation District provides power to the chocolate factory, which Murdoch said has saved Hershey “millions” in power bills since Hershey switched from Pacific Gas and Electric in 1997.

The city is looking into making some changes to its wastewater policy for the Hershey plant, however. Today, the city takes 100 percent of Hershey’s untreated wastewater, which includes solid milk.

Future employers might be asked to treat a percentage of their wastewater before it is discharged, Word said. The city expects to have a new waste-water policy in place by the time Hershey pulls out of Oakdale.

One of the biggest drawbacks to the plant might be its location, particularly for a business that relies heavily on truck transportation. Although the plant is served by a Union Pacific rail line, it’s situated in a rural spot away from the Highway 99 corridor.

“The reason that Hershey is there is because it needed to be central to dairies,” Murdoch said. “This area is surrounded by dairies and they have a nice facility to offload milk. For the right company, that would be a plus. A cheese plant would be perfect.”

Regardless of which company takes over the vacated plant, one thing that will be watched closely is the number of jobs that come with it.

“Jobs is a big thing the city would like to see regenerated,” Word said.

Hershey is Oakdale’s largest employer. At its peak in the 1990s, it employed as many as 750 people.

World News - Twenty-five years ago, Diet Coke burst onto the scene and forever changed the beverage landscape. Today, the global brand is the #1 diet sparkling beverage in the world, and its launch is viewed as one of the most successful in beverage history.

“When Diet Coke debuted in 1982, the brand struck a chord by inviting people to drink it ‘Just for the Taste of It.’ Offering the authenticity of the Coca-Cola name with no calories, Diet Coke was exactly what people wanted,” said Katie Bayne, chief marketing officer, Coca-Cola North America. “A quarter-century later, Diet Coke remains the world’s favorite no-calorie sparkling beverage and continues to refresh people every day with the one-of-a-kind taste they love.”

A Style All Its Own

From the beginning, Diet Coke has had a confident, sophisticated voice that epitomizes adult style and a life well lived. A host of celebrities - including chart-topping singers, athletes, actors and actresses and fashion models - have embraced Diet Coke as their own. Many appeared in print, television and radio ads for Diet Coke marketing campaigns over time.

Diet Coke has been a sponsor of the Academy Awards(R), the biggest entertainment program on television, and the brand’s current marketing campaign premiered with three new commercials during this year’s Oscars(R) telecast. The campaign, which carries the tagline, “Yours, Diet Coke,” shows how people feel about Diet Coke when they drink it, and as importantly, how they feel when it’s not there. The ads depict scenarios that reinforce how Diet Coke is there for people who love the brand.

“Since its launch, Diet Coke has been synonymous with stylish sophistication,” said Bayne. “Through the years, Diet Coke marketing and advertising has reflected and embraced pop culture, and the brand has become a global icon that embodies great cola taste with an undeniable sense of style.”

A Breakthrough Product and Positioning

Diet Coke helped define the low-calorie segment of the beverage industry at a time when sales of “diet” beverages were a fraction of what they are today.

“For almost 100 years, until the introduction of Diet Coke, the flagship Coca-Cola name had never been extended to another brand,” said Philip Mooney, director, Archives, The Coca-Cola Company. “The launch of Diet Coke pioneered groundbreaking product innovations in the beverage industry and helped to accelerate the success of a Company that now offers more than 400 different beverage brands around the world.”

Diet Coke has been an innovation leader for the past 25 years. Since the launch of Caffeine-free Diet Coke(R), the first extension of the Diet Coke brand, in 1983, Diet Coke has kept pace with its fans’ changing desires for variety with new product offerings. This tradition continues today with the introduction of Diet Coke Plus(R), which provides a great, refreshing taste and a good source of essential vitamins and minerals.

An Unconditional Loyalty for Their Brand

Much of Diet Coke’s success can be attributed to the millions of Diet Coke drinkers who profess unconditional loyalty and love for their favorite beverage. Many people, like Samantha Dumond, of Roswell, Ga., jump-start their day with a Diet Coke and consider the brand a trusted ally and an inextricable part of their lives.

“I’ve been drinking Diet Coke since I was a senior in high school, and every morning I have one with breakfast,” said Dumond, 34, a mother of two. “There is nothing more refreshing than a cold Diet Coke to get my day started. I love my Diet Coke - just as much as I love my husband … almost.”

Diet Coke fans also voice their dedication to the brand by joining fan groups, such as “I Love Diet Coke” and “All Girls Love Diet Coke” on popular social networking Web sites. Recently Diet Coke became part of a global phenomenon when countless videos that showed people creating enormous “geysers” by combining Diet Coke and popular candy, Mentos, were posted all over the Internet. Today, thousands of videos of the Diet Coke and Mentos experiment are posted on YouTube alone.

A Global Phenomenon

Over the past 25 years, Diet Coke has become an international household name, refreshing people around the world.

– 1982: Diet Coke is introduced on July 29 in a gala celebration from the stage at Radio City Music Hall in New York. By 1983, Diet Coke becomes the #1 diet sparkling beverage in the United States. Just six months after the U.S. launch, Diet Coke - called Coca-Cola Light in some markets - debuts in Australia, Costa Rica, Great Britain, Norway, South Africa and many other countries.

– 1984: Diet Coke becomes the #3 sparkling beverage in the United States, a title it has held for more than 23 years. By 1986, Diet Coke becomes the #1 low-calorie sparkling beverage in the world.

– Today the brand, including both Diet Coke and Coca-Cola Light, is available in 173 countries and has a 40 percent share of the global diet sparkling beverage segment.

A Celebration for Everyone

To celebrate the brand’s quarter-century, limited edition vintage Diet Coke T-shirts, 25th anniversary contour bottles and other commemorative items will be available through My Coke Rewards(TM). Diet Coke fans can also enter to win several 25th anniversary sweepstakes and contests in popular magazines, such as Conde Nast Traveler, In Style and People.

Special 25th anniversary Diet Coke silver sleek cans will be available exclusively in the Atlanta area, Diet Coke’s birthplace. Also, Diet Coke rolled out the red carpet to celebrate its silver anniversary as part of the city’s 4th of July celebration at the new World of Coca-Cola and Centennial Olympic Park, which featured live jazz music and entertaining dance performances.

“This 25th anniversary celebrates the long love affair between Diet Coke and the loyal fans who have made it a global icon,” said Bayne. “Millions of people around the world have made Diet Coke part of their well-balanced lifestyle, and for decades to come, we’ll continue to refresh them with the great cola taste and style that they know and love.”

About The Coca-Cola Company

The Coca-Cola Company is the world’s largest beverage company. Along with Coca-Cola(R), recognized as the world’s most valuable brand, the Company markets four of the world’s top five nonalcoholic sparkling beverage brands, including Diet Coke(R), Fanta(R) and Sprite(R), and a wide range of other beverages, including diet and light beverages, waters, juices and juice drinks, teas, coffees, energy and sports drinks. Through the world’s largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy the Company’s beverages at a rate exceeding 1.4 billion servings each day. For more information about The Coca-Cola Company, you can visit their website at www.thecoca-colacompany.com.

SOURCE: Coca-Cola North America

 UK News - Be treatwise is a consumer education initiative designed to show you the role that treats, such as chocolate and sweets, can play in a healthy balanced diet and active lifestyle.

As part of the activity the brightly coloured Be treatwise logo is to be found on the front of millions of chocolate and sweets packs across the UK.

The initiative encourages people to think about the treats they are eating and to use the Guideline Daily Amounts (GDAs) table on the back of pack to help them consume treats as part of a diet which is healthy and well balanced.

The Treatwise site can be found here.

 UK News - Confectionery and drinks giant Cadbury Schweppes has announced plans to cut 15% of its staff by 2011.

The UK firm said the 7,500 jobs would go as part of a cost reduction plan that would also see about 15% of its manufacturing sites close.

Cadbury, which employs 50,000 people globally, has yet to say whether any of its UK plants will be affected.

The firm’s headquarters are in London, while its main chocolate-making factory is based in Bournville, Birmingham.

BBC Business Editor Robert Peston said the Bournville site was likely to be largely unaffected.

Cadbury has another chocolate plant in Keynsham, near Bristol, and a cocoa processing operation in North Wales.

It also has a milk-processing facility in Herefordshire, a sugar factory in Sheffield and a medicinal confectionery business in Crediton, Devon.

Cadbury’s shares had fallen 1.3% to 697 pence by early afternoon trading in London.

‘Biggest and best’

The reorganisation will cost Cadbury about £450m in a one-off charge.

But it said that as a result, its profit margins should increase from 10.1% to the mid-teens by 2011.

“Over the past three years, we have made great strides in improving our business performance,” said Cadbury chief executive Todd Stitzer.

“The plans announced today represent the next step in transforming our confectionery company from being the biggest global confectionery company to being the biggest and the best.”

The Transport & General Workers’ Union, which represents more than 2,000 of Cadbury’s UK staff, said the news of job cuts was a “grave concern”.

“Cadbury’s is an iconic British brand which is a good and successful company that is clearly profitable,” said Brian Revell, the T&G’s national secretary for food and agriculture.

“We have worked hard with Cadbury in recent years and co-operated in a change programme which means the UK factories are extremely efficient.

“We are, therefore, concerned by today’s announcement which we are convinced is driven by the threat of a takeover by private equity.”

Drinks unit sale

Cadbury also said it would probably now sell off its drinks business, as part of plans to split the company in two.

The company said unnamed parties had expressed an interest in buying the Schweppes unit, which produces drinks such as Dr Pepper and 7-Up.

This sale could raise more than £7bn, and the interested parties are said to be private equity groups.

US newspapers say two private equity consortia are looking at Schweppes, with the first comprising Bain Capital Partners, Thomas H Lee Partners and Texas Pacific Group.

The second is said to be Blackstone Group, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and Lion Capital.

Others say Schweppes could see a third offer by a group led by Canadian drinks-maker Cott.

Following the expected sale, Cadbury said it would simply remove the Schweppes part of its name.

The firm has been under pressure after poor European sales and a costly salmonella scare in the UK - which led to a million chocolate bars being recalled - saw profits fall sharply last year.

Source: BBC News

Our house move is now complete and our new Internet connection is up and running.

Although there is still a long list of jobs to be done on the home front the KXC club is now back in operation and looking for new members.

Thank you to those who sent us their messages of support during our move and to those who continued to stick with us while the site was static during the move.

We are now settled and able to get to work improving our club and moving it forward. There are some exciting plans for the club on the horizon so stick around to discover what we have in store for our visitors and for our club members.

Few people, especially in the UK and Europe, can be unaware of the sad case of four-year-old Madeleine McCann who was abducted on 3rd May 2007 while on holiday in Portugal.

If you wish to find out more about the case please visit the official Madeleine McCann website for the latest news and ways in which you can help.

We here at KXC fully support the search for this precious little girl and have a banner and link to her official site on our home page in the hope that it may raise awareness of the case and perhaps help in some way to bring about the safe return of Medeleine.

At this time we hope you will join us in our hopes and prayers for a happy outcome.

 UK News - Cadbury has pleaded guilty to three offences under food and hygiene regulations in connection with a salmonella scare last summer. 

Birmingham City Council alleged the firm put “unsafe” chocolate on the market for a period in 2006, which led to one million bars being recalled. 

Thirty people were affected, the Health Protection Agency said. 

Cadbury will be sentenced for the offences at Birmingham Crown Court on 13 July. 

Anthony Scrivener QC, entered the pleas on behalf of the firm during a 10-minute hearing at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court. 

‘£30m bill’ 

The company said the bill for dealing with the contamination may reach £30m. 

Birmingham City Council is responsible for enforcing health and safety laws at Cadbury’s plant in Bournville. 

Mr Scrivener told the court that although certain facts in the case were still in dispute, Cadbury accepted its responsibility and was pleading guilty to the charges. 

He added that they had already spent £20m on improvements. 

Cadbury was accused of putting contaminated chocolates on the market between 19 January and 10 March last year. 

Other charges include the firm failing to immediately inform relevant authorities about potential dangers and failing to identify “hazards” posed by the salmonella contamination. 

Separately Herefordshire Council is also prosecuting the company over the state of its factory near Leominster where the bars originated. 

The charges include not keeping a drainage pipe and roof vents in good repair, not permitting adequate cleaning of the premises, inadequate drainage facilities, and not carrying out proper cleaning of the conveyors or storage silos. 

Each of the six offences carries a maximum penalty of an unlimited fine and/or two years’ imprisonment. 

The company is due to appear before Herefordshire Magistrates on 24 July. 

‘We have apologised’ 

In a statement released after the hearing in Birmingham, Cadbury said: “Mistakenly, we did not believe that there was a threat to health and thus any requirement to report the incident to the authorities - we accept that this approach was incorrect. 

“Quality has always been at the heart of our business, but the process we followed in the UK in this instance was unacceptable. 

“We have apologised for this and do so again today.” 

“The processes that led to this failure ceased from June last year and will never be reinstated.” 

They added that it was inappropriate to comment on the second set of charges brought by Herefordshire Council. 

A major review of global health and safety procedures has since taken place.  

Source: BBC News