The company admitted that cost was a factor in the selection shake-up but rejected claims by the mainstream press that it has weeded out the more expensive Heroes to replace them with stingier options. In particular, the company has replaced Crunchies and white chocolate Dreams with Bournvilles and Eclairs, while also reportedly cutting down on the number of Dairy Milk Whole Nut chocolates.
Head of external communications at Cadbury Tony Bilsborough told ConfectioneryNews.com: “Cost was one of the factors but that has always been the same. It is about getting a wide range for all tastes and we change them all the time. We took this decision 18 months or two years ago, before there was any sign of the credit crunch.”
Popularity contest
According to the company, 90 per cent of the products it sells are milk chocolate, compared to 8 per cent dark and 2 per cent white, which it says explains the switch from Dreams to its dark chocolate Bournvilles.
However, Bilsborough said the change was also about getting the mix right between different textures and flavours.
When questioned about whether Eclairs are more popular than Crunchies, Bilsborough said: “No, but it is about getting the toffee unit. It is important to get a range of flavours and textures for the whole family and you can never keep everyone happy.”
Will we see Crunchie make a reappearance then?
“Never say never,” said Bilsborough. “I said that we would not be reintroducing Wispa but it is always about taking note of what the public thinks.”
The Heroes selection changed last year as well, when Cadbury removed Time Outs and Picnics from the mix.