Yorkie sales grew by 31.6% last year, compared with 2012, as the brand enjoyed a renaissance over the past two years, claimed the firm. Sales have grown by more than 50% over the past two years, thanks to TV advertising and the launch of Yorkie ‘Man Sized Buttons’.
Sales of Breakaway rose by 21.2% and Milky Bar by 7.4%, while Quality Street remained the number one Christmas confectionery product, said the firm.
Also, KitKat 2 Finger became Fairtrade certfified.
Coffee-shop choices
Sales of Nestlé Dolce Gusto pods, up by 32%, also boosted the results, as UK and Irish consumers looked for coffee-shop choices in their own homes.
Fiona Kendrick, Nestlé UK & Ireland chairman and ceo, said the business had achieved had achieved a strong performance in both countries, as major investment in UK manufacturing came on-stream.
“2013 was a challenging year but Nestlé UK & Ireland performed well in its core businesses of beverages, confectionery and food,” said Kendrick.
‘Reshaping the food industry’
“UK and Irish consumers are changing the way they shop and it is reshaping the food industry. We are responding to this new reality, particularly in fast growing channels such as online shopping, convenience stores and discounters. Innovation continues to be key in growing our business and we are offering our consumers new products to meet their changing needs.”
The growth of high street coffee-shops was introducing consumers to new tastes, said Nestlé. “More people want to experience coffee-shop varieties at home, but at a fraction of the cost,” it said. Nescafé Dolce Gusto, Azera and Gold Blend Barista Style provided that choice and quality, thanks to the firm's £310M investment in UK coffee factories, it claimed.
Nestlé Waters finished 2013 with a record sales of more than 300M litres, as thirsty Britons slaked their thirst in the sweltering British summer last year.
Meanwhile, Nestlé ceo Paul Bulcke warned that this year would prove as challenging as 2013, as the firm revealed total sales of CHF92.2bn, up by 2.7% on the previous year.