News | Latest Breaking News Stories & Headlines

Lindt lifts growth outlook on consumer loyalty

Swiss chocolate maker Lindt & Spruengli has today raised its organic sales growth forecast for 2025, citing consumer loyalty and a trend towards more premium products.

Business • 22 Jul

Cadbury-parent calls for delay to EU deforestation law

Cadbury chocolate maker Mondelez is urging a one-year delay in the implementation of the European Union's deforestation law, a senior company executive said.

Business • 04 Jul

Lindt & Spruengli has reported a slightly better than expected full-year operating profit

Chocolate price hikes sweeten Lindt's operating profit

Switzerland's Lindt & Spruengli has today reported a slightly better than expected full-year operating profit, demonstrating its pricing power in the face of historically high cocoa prices.

Business • 04 Mar

Extreme weather driven by climate change is hitting cocoa harvests in key countries for the crop

Climate change threatening chocolate, charity warns

The traditional Valentine Day's gift of chocolates is under threat from climate change, campaigners have warned.

Business • 13 Feb

Cocoa prices nearly tripled over 2024, and analysts are expecting the chocolate market to face an unprecedented cost headwind this year

Lindt sees further growth in 2025 despite cocoa costs

Lindt & Spruengli has lifted 2024 margin estimate and forecast further sales growth for 2025, after reporting 7.8% organic growth for last year in a sign that price hikes have not deterred shoppers from splurging on chocolates.

Business • 14 Jan

A deal between Cadbury-parent Mondelez International and Hershey would create one of the world's largest confectioners

Cadbury-owner Mondelez exploring Hershey deal - reports

Cadbury-parent Mondelez International is exploring the acquisition of chocolate maker Hershey, Bloomberg News has reported, citing people familiar with the matter, in what would create one of the world's largest confectioners.

Business • 10 Dec 24

Barry Callebaut makes the chocolate for Nestle's KitKat bars

Barry Callebaut's H1 operating profits sink by 40%

Barry Callebaut, the world's biggest chocolate maker, has today reported lower than expected half-year operating profit, hit by one-off expenses caused by its transformation plan.

Business • 10 Apr 24

Easter sales of confectionay in the US, the world's biggest chocolate consumer, are expected to at least reach last year's total of about $5.4 billion

Chocolate makers betting big on Easter this year

Cadbury owner Mondelez, Hershey and other confection-makers are employing promotions and pitching more non-chocolate Easter treats at a time when soaring cocoa prices threaten their profits and shoppers balk at high prices.

Business • 26 Mar 24

The Swiss chocolate maker passed on increasing raw material costs to customers amid a slowdown in the global chocolate market last year

Lindt profit up on price hikes amid chocolate slowdown

Lindt & Spruengli has today reported a rise in annual profit as the Swiss chocolate maker managed to pass on higher ingredients costs to customers while maintaining volumes amid a broader slowdown in the global chocolate market.

Business • 05 Mar 24

Prices of Mondelez chocolate - which includes Milka and Cadbury brands - in Europe rose 12% to 15% last year

Hershey and Cadbury chocolate makers eye price hikes

The makers of Hershey and Cadbury chocolates are planning more price hikes to cover a fresh record-setting surge in cocoa prices, even as inflation-hit consumers curb their purchases and company profits face a hit.

Business • 14 Feb 24

The maker of Hershey's Kisses and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups did not give details about the number of jobs it was cutting

Hershey looks to cut jobs as it projects a dour 2024

Hershey has today disclosed it was cutting jobs and would incur up to $60m in costs, after the chocolate maker projected its full-year sales and profit below estimates.

Business • 08 Feb 24

Swiss chocolate maker Lindt & Spruengli today said its 2023 sales came in ahead of market expectations

Lindt & Spruengli 2023 sales boosted by higher prices

Swiss chocolate maker Lindt & Spruengli today said its 2023 sales grew by 10.3% organically and came in ahead of market expectations, boosted by higher product prices and strong sales of its pralines across markets.

Business • 16 Jan 24

Consumers are snubbing toys and gadgets in favour of chocolate which, despite price rises over the past year, remains relatively inexpensive

Big confectioners eye Christmas boost

Quality Street maker Nestle and Cadbury owner Mondelez are seeing higher sales of confectionery this Christmas season driven by cash-strapped shoppers seeking cheaper gifts.

Business • 11 Dec 23

Hotel Chocolat aimed to make chocolate 'exciting' by bringing ethical affordable luxury to the British high street

Mars to buy Britain's Hotel Chocolat for £534m

Britain's Hotel Chocolat has today agreed to a £534m takeover offer from Mars, as the specialist chocolatier succumbs to the US food giant to help it grow internationally and netting its founders a tidy profit.

Business • 16 Nov 23

Today's acquisition is part of Nestle's strategy to expand its presence in the super-premium chocolate segment

Nestle buys stake in Brazil premium chocolate maker

Nestle is buying a majority stake in Brazilian premium chocolate maker Grupo CRM, the Swiss food group said today.

Business • 07 Sep 23

Irish people eat a lot of chocolate - but not nearly as much as some of our European neighbours

Bunny-spinner: Easter a high point for chocolate-makers

With a deluge of Easter eggs likely to hit many homes this weekend, this time of year is a crucial one for Ireland's many chocolate-makers, writes Adam Maguire.

Business • 06 Apr 23

The Barry Callebaut production site in Wieze in Belgium

Barry Callebaut sales volumes fall 5% in first quarter

Barry Callebaut today announced its first quarter results along with a new, lower, mid-term guidance of 4%-6% volume growth.

Business • 18 Jan 23

The Barry Callebaut chocolate factory in Chekhov in Russia

Barry Callebaut CEO says staying in Russia feels right

Swiss chocolate maker Barry Callebaut will keep operating in Russia to help its customers and employees there, even though images from the war in Ukraine create "enormous pressure," it said today.

Business • 13 Apr 22

Demand for the company's chocolates is expected to grow this year as Covid saw consumers increasingly splurge on sweet treats

Lindt sees sales growth ahead for 2022

Swiss chocolate maker Lindt & Spruengli said today it expects demand for its upmarket chocolates to grow this year after the pandemic saw consumers increasingly splurge on sweet treats.

Business • 18 Jan 22

Lindt & Spruengli said it gained market share in nearly all countries in which it is present

Lindt & Spruengli's second half sales recover

Swiss chocolate maker Lindt & Spruengli said it expected to further gain market share this year after consumers fighting Covid frustration with chocolate helped sales recover in the second half of 2020.

Business • 19 Jan 21

Lindt has fared better than its peers thanks to its upmarket positioning

Lindt promises sweet dividend and further growth

Swiss chocolate maker Lindt & Spruengli has today proposed a sweeter payout to shareholders, increasing its dividend by 75% to mark its 175th anniversary.

Business • 03 Mar 20

Lindt today reiterated its target for 6-8% growth over the medium to long term

Chocolate maker Lindt confirms full year outlook

Swiss chocolate maker Lindt & Spruengli said it was on track to achieve its growth target this year after organic growth accelerated in the first half of 2018.

Business • 24 Jul 18

Global chocolate demand is down as consumers tend to prefer healthier snacks

Lindt expects to maintain 6% sales growth in 2017

Swiss chocolate maker Lindt & Spruengli expects like-for-like sales to increase by another 6% this year, at the lower end of its long-term target.

Business • 07 Mar 17

Nestle is the maker of Kitkat and other chocolate bars

Sugar reduction that won't leave a bitter taste

Nestle said it had devised a new technology that has the potential to reduce sugar in some of its confectionery products by up to 40% without affecting the taste.

News • 01 Dec 16

Nestle said its researchers had found a way to structure sugar differently

Nestle's technology to reduce sugar in chocolate

Nestle, the world's largest packaged food group, said it had made a scientific breakthrough that has the potential to reduce sugar in its confectionary products by up to 40%.

Business • 01 Dec 16