Fairtrade chocolate spreads across stores

Co-operative Group Chief Executive Peter Marks celebrates the launch of the new chocolate range with Harriet Lamb, Executive Director of the Fairtrade Foundation.

June 15 2010

Sales of Co-operative Fairtrade block chocolate look set to double as the Co-operative Group extends its own-brand Fairtrade chocolate range to Somerfield stores.

Annual sales are expected to jump from £5 million to £10m as the Fairtrade chocolate range is given a makeover to coincide with the roll-out this month to 3,000 stores, including the introduction of two Truly Irresistible products.

The Co-op is the only retailer to have converted its own-brand block chocolate to Fairtrade, having become the first retailer to introduce own-brand chocolate with the Fairtrade Mark back in 2000.

In order to meet the enlarged volume of Fairtrade chocolate, the Group will be sourcing cocoa from the Dominican Republic for the first time. The cocoa will come from Conacado, a co-operative of 9,500 small holder growers, while the cocoa for the extended premium Fairtrade chocolate range will be supplied by the existing growers at the Kuapa Kokoo co-operative in Ghana.

As well as the introduction of the two new premium products — The Co-operative Truly Irresistible Fairtrade Dark Chocolate with Peppermint and The Co-operative Truly Irresistible Fairtrade Milk Chocolate with Butterscotch — the relaunched range will feature a wider choice of pack sizes, new recipes and new packaging designs.

Category: Fairtrade