This fall, chocolate lovers in the UK can look forward to the opening of the KitKat Chocolatory, which will make it possible for consumers to purchase bespoke chocolate bars from a dedicated website and pop-up stores. The direct-to-consumer venture from Nestlé UK will allow for plenty of personalization to be made, especially when it comes to the flavors of the chocolates and how they are packaged.
Shoppers will be invited to "create your break" and choose from four different kinds of chocolate, as well as texture-rich add-ons like cookie pieces, chunks of salted caramel, honey or even rose petals. To tie in with its launch in the UK, the new Chocolatory will also be highlighting quintessentially British flavors like Eton mess, cherry Bakewell and marmalade.
D2C Luxury Chocolates
Nestlé UK's Website & Pop-Ups Help Consumers Create Bespoke Chocolate
Trend Themes
1. Direct-to-consumer Sweets - Nestlé's new D2C venture in the UK allows for customization and personalization of luxury chocolate products, paving the way for other sweets brands to also offer customized treats.
2. Bespoke Chocolate Experiences - The KitKat Chocolatory's website and pop-up stores offer a unique and personalized chocolate experience, highlighting the potential for other brands to create bespoke, immersive experiences for customers.
3. Texture-rich Add-ons - The option to add ingredients like cookie pieces, salted caramel, honey or rose petals to chocolate bars suggests a consumer trend towards texture-rich and complex flavor comninbations in sweets.
Industry Implications
1. Luxury Chocolates - Nestlé's launch of the KitKat Chocolatory in the UK highlights the D2C opportunity in the high end chocolates industry, allowing for customers to create personalized products and experiences.
2. Direct-to-consumer - Nestlé's D2C venture with the KitKat Chocolatory highlights the growing trend of brands cutting out intermediaries and going directly to customers to offer customized products and services.
3. Pop-up Stores - The KitKat Chocolatory's use of pop-up stores to offer unique chocolate experiences showcases the potential for other industries to use temporary and immersive spaces to engage with customers in a new and innovative way.