Candy Confectionery News F. Hunziker + Co AG - Newsletter 01/2009

Newsletter 01 / 2009
NEW: Sugarfree Candy With Chocolate Core!
Wrigley was first to launch another innovation on selected markets: Chocolate filled but
sugarfree candies with deliciously flavoured shells! Sugarfree chocolate is available since
quite a few years. Instead of sugar, most producers use isomalt as a nutritive sweetener.
Isomalt cannot be decomposed by bacterial plaque. Formulas containing isomalt instead of
sugar can be claimed as toothfriendly.
So why not boosting your confectionery category with another innovation? Delicious combinations
of sweet candy flavours with the rich and creamy taste of real chocolate are a
unique indulgence. Suspicious of the taste of sugarfree chocolate? We can only encourage
doing a blind test. You'll get astonishing results: usually consumers cannot distinguish a
classic from a sugarfree Swiss chocolate.
Almost endless variety of fillings
Hunziker offers a variety of different fillings, e.g. a «magic»
Xylitol-filling with a so called water-drop-effect. It's technically
filled with powder, but it feels like water drops coming out of the
candy when it slowly melts in your mouth. Or it can be a spar-
kling (sweet or sour) filling. Or –
a bit less fancy – there are almost unlimited possibilities of
soft/solid texture fillings, if required also enriched with vitamins.
In a nutshell: enough fillings for an innovative candy
range - your innovative candy range.
Still No. 1 in home market
For five years, Hunziker has been leading the Turnover Shortlist
of all candy suppliers in Switzerland, according to retail
panel market data from Nielsen (see chart below). The Migros
black currant pastilles range, produced by Hunziker, belongs to
Editorial
2008 has been
another successful
year of
growth for our
company. By the
end of the year,
we've reached
an all-time-high
of 97 innovations
launched for our
customers. Still, for a small company
such as ours, it's a blessing and a
challenge at once. But small is relative.
In our home market, we've managed
to keep our no. 1 position and
brought additional growth in the
candy segment to our biggest partner,
Migros. Now, where 2009 has
already started, we keep working on
our strength: private label concepts,
not just products – for ambitious
clients, who share the passion for our
sweet business.
Together with my leadership team,
I wish you all the best for 2009. It's
an old, unwritten law, which says that
candy consumption usually increases
in times of turmoil. We're ready. Are
you?
Konrad Kaufmann, CEO
Meet us at ISM 2009
Cologne/Germany, 1.­4.2.2009
During the fair, call +41 79 679 09 72 (cell).
Swiss Pavilion
Hall 4.2
Stand M.028
the top selling ranges in Switzer-
land and the growth rate of the gummy products range «Gomz» was highest in its category in 2008.
Measured in tons, the gap to the next competitor is even bigger. The reason behind this has a lot to do
with tradition and innovation at the same time. While you can read about innovation on the next page,
let us correspondingly quote a consumer, 36 years of age, interviewed last summer and asked about
her loyalty to the retailer: «I loved this particular candy product when I was a teen. It was never missing
whenever we went on school excursions. Today, it means a lot to me, that I can still buy the almost
unchanged product, which my mum has bought 30 years ago.» Yes, indeed, you need to be innovative
to be successful. But you also need to understand your business. If you do so, you know exactly
which products you should never re-launch or modify. With more than 60 years of experience, we
know the candy business by heart. Change has gotten a constant condition in modern times. But certain
things never change!

Newsletter 01 / 2009
NEW: Chewy Candies – for adults, too!
To a certain extent astonishing, but chewy candy flavours remained mainly the same
for decades. Time for a change! Traditionally, chewy candies are made for and
consumed by kids. But research shows that many adults buy the products, driven by
childhood memories. But you often loose your target group when they change their
consumption habit as teens. SMAMS – the new chewy candy brand of Migros – is
an example of a target group oriented approach to keep consumers loyal. It starts
Record: 97 innovations
per year
Being a professional, you certainly know
that developing new concepts is only the
top of the iceberg. Production requirements
are getting increasingly complex.
Not only ISO, GMP and BRC Standards
with an 'all natural' leader variant for
kids, then goes to a true innovation: the
first super sour chewy candies which is
targeted at teens. Finally, SMAMS
offers a choice of over 18 different flavours
to adults: from mint to yogurt and
from cranberry to chocolate. A choice
for all different target groups. Limited
and seasonal editions keep the range in
motion.
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but also – likewise increasing – specific requirements of retailers and brand owners.
Within the past four years, our marketing, sales and development team expanded
both in headcounts and expertise. Today, five fully dedicated, well trained and experienced
development managers and a team of three marketers are on duty for
your challenge. In total, more than hundred employees guarantee top service and
top quality. We are convinced that only innovative spirits can lead a business successfully
into the future. In the light of this, we invest all our efforts into the development
of real innovations and customer-oriented process management, which, every
now and then, make the seemingly impossible possible. E.g. to launch two innovations
per week …
Investment in Instant Beverages
Did you know that Hunziker is also a leading producer of instant beverages such as
Ice Tea, herbal/medical teas, isotonic sports drinks and regular vitaminized fruit
drinks. In Switzerland, our instant ice tea has a market share of around 58%.
Whether it is Ice Tea, hot infusions or any other kind of instant beverage, it needs to
be packed. Hunziker invested to upgrade its corresponding packaging lines. Now ,
not only candies, but also powder or granulates can be filled in bags containing a
resealable zip closure. The bags can be of different sizes and capacity, depending
on the texture of the instant product. Generally, capacities are between 50 grams
and 1.5 kilos.
Facts & Figures
No. of Employees:
110 FTEs.
Foundation:
Founded in 1945
Production Output:
5’000 tons per year, entirely manufactured
in Switzerland
Certificates:
ISO 9001:2000, BRC, FPA Safe,
IFS, GMP (Swissmedic)
Equity:
Fully family owned, self financed
Source of Business:
Home market (Switzerland): 61%
Export markets: 39%
Main Export Markets:
Germany, Italy, France, Norway,
Sweden, Finland, Bulgaria, Slovenia,
Romania, Czech Republic, Slovakia,
Singapore, Hong Kong etc.
Product Range:
All sorts of candies, pastilles,
gummy products and instant beverages
Associated companies:
Halter Bonbons, CH-Beinwil am See
Akellas srl, I-Cerro Maggiore
Address:
F. Hunziker + Co AG
Heimstrasse 18
CH-8953 Dietikon, Switzerland
Phone +41 44 746 36 36
Fax: +41 44 746 36 37
E-Mail info@fhunziker.ch
http://www.fhunziker.ch
Your Contacts:
Mr. Patrick Flöscher
Mr. Thomas Schiess
Mr. Christoph Sprenger