Chocolate lovers head to supermarket for their fix

When it comes to buying chocolate, the supermarket aisle offers the greatest temptation to Australian consumers. 6.5 million Australians aged 14+ (or one-third of the population) buy at least one chocolate bar in an average four weeks — and almost five million of them make the purchase at a supermarket, according to research findings from Roy Morgan Research.

In the year to June 2015, 4.9 million Australians bought at least one chocolate bar from a supermarket in any given four-week period — accounting for more than three-quarters (76%) of the chocolate-bar-buying public.

Convenience stores/petrol stations come a very distant second, accounting for 8% of all chocolate-bar buyers (or 498,000 people), but still well ahead of vending machines (a fraction over 1% or 86,000 people) and milk bars/corner stores (also just over 1% or 81,000).

Meanwhile, a surprising 13% of people who bought chocolate bars can’t say where they made their purchase.

Women are slightly more likely than men to buy chocolate bars at the supermarket: 78% of total female chocolate-bar buyers make their purchase at the supermarket, compared with 74% of males.

However, men outnumber women when it comes to buying chocolate bars just about everywhere else: from milk bars/corner stores and newsagents, to cafes/takeaways/sandwich bars, vending machines and sporting grounds.

Cadbury 50 g bars are the most popular brands purchased at supermarkets and milk bars/corner stores, but are practically deadlocked with Kit Kats for top spot at convenience stores. Snickers is the number-one chocolate bar purchased from vending machines.

While it seems logical that household grocery buyers might toss a chocolate treat into the trolley, 75% of non-grocery buyers also prefer to purchase their chocolate from the supermarket, according to Andrew Price, general manager – consumer products, Roy Morgan Research.

“Since 2011, there has been a marginal decline in the proportion of Australians 14+ buying chocolate bars in an average four-week period, from 35% to 33%. This decrease is evident across most places of purchase, except for supermarkets, which are holding steady,” said Price.

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