Malaysians have been going chocolate-crazy during the pandemic

During the pandemic, 20% of Malaysians searched for chocolate online. — VIE STUDIO/Pexels

In good times and bad, chocolate is a fail-safe option that never grows old and never loses its allure. So it isn’t altogether surprising to discover that chocolate consumption has surged during the pandemic, during what has undoubtedly been a trying time.

Data from Facebook Malaysia shows that 1.1 million posts were created using the chocolate bar emoji in the first half of 2021. Additionally, in 2020 when the pandemic first reared its ugly head, research indicated that 21% of Malaysians searched for chocolate online.

All the chocolate-themed searches and posts corresponded with a tangible increase in consumption. In fact, findings by Nielsen indicated that the chocolate category in Malaysia grew by 8% from July 2020 to June 2021. Meanwhile, Kantar reported that home consumption of chocolates grew by 30%.

“Before the pandemic, many consumers would purchase chocolate on impulse or when they are on the go. When the pandemic first hit, we saw many people choosing to stock up on staple foods rather than indulgences such as chocolate. This contributed to a decline in chocolate consumption during the first few months of the pandemic.

Arpan says that while consumers used to make smaller impulse purchases before the pandemic, they are now buying chocolate in bulk. — MONDELEZ INTERNATIONAL

“However, once people were stocked up with their staples, we saw consumers returning to purchase larger or value-sized chocolates through e-commerce platforms for home-sharing,” says Arpan Sur, head of marketing for Mondelez International Malaysia and Singapore (which owns brands like Cadbury Dairy Milk).

According to Arpan, demand became so high that for brands like Cadbury, the company had to ensure there was enough supply to meet the sky-high demand!

Arpan’s views are echoed by Michael Woo, the founder of local chocolate brand Cocoraw, which makes Nama-style chocolate truffles. Woo says sales have increased dramatically since the advent of the pandemic.

“On our side, we noticed our sales for chocolates have gone up by 20% over the past couple of months, from the first movement control order (MCO) leading to 2021. There is definitely an increase in consumption and it is still sustainable, because people are definitely buying more regularly than pre-pandemic.

“We have also gotten more new customers who seem to be turning to chocolates,” he says.

According to Arpan, Malaysians were already consuming more chocolate than other denizens in the region, but the pandemic seems to have accelerated this interest.

“In terms of consumption, an average Malaysian consumes about 0.5kg per person per year. This is a bit higher than our neighbouring countries in South-East Asia like the Philippines and Indonesia at 0.3kg. However, the consumption in Malaysia is not as high as countries like Australia, whose chocolate consumption is approximately 5kg per person per year,” he says.

Woo (right, pictured here with his wife Lee See Pin) says sales of his locally-made chocolate have increased by 20% since the start of the pandemic and he foresees that this growth will continue. — Filepic

Arpan also adds that their data shows that people in middle-income and high-income groups tend to consume more chocolate than other income groups.

So why have Malaysians been turning to chocolate with such a vengeance during the pandemic? One of the reasons could be chocolate’s feel-good factor or the serotonin rush that it offers – which has probably been much needed during the pandemic.

This is verified by data from Mondelez’s recent 2021 Consumer Survey on Mindful Snacking, which discovered that 74% of Malaysians had turned to snacks as a source of comfort.

Another obvious reason is the increasing time that people have been spending online, which in turn has led to the discovery of new chocolate brands or the ability to buy chocolate in bulk, as opposed to those smaller on-the-go purchases that people were making before.

“At the beginning of the lockdown, people were buying chocolates as gifts for their friends to keep them happy since they couldn’t see them in person.

“And when things went back to normal-ish, people were still buying chocolate for different reasons – whether that’s an occasion or a festival and they also became more aware of the different options available online that they had not heard of in the past. So the behaviour has now become entrenched,” says Woo.

Cost is also an issue, as consumers have been more careful with their spending during the pandemic. As a consequence, this has had a two-pronged effect: people either stick to familiar cost-efficient favourites or look for cheaper versions of their favourite chocolates.

“We are cheaper than many premium international brands, so people seem to be turning to us because we offer better value and also because in this past year, there has been a strong movement to support locally-made products,” says Woo.

Malaysians have been consuming more chocolate during the pandemic, and this entrenched habit is likely to continue. — ANETE LUSINA/Pexels

Moving forward, Arpan says the increased interest in chocolate will likely grow in a number of different ways, as entrenched habits continue even as people go back to leading their lives in the new normal.

“If we look ahead, we foresee an increase in outdoor and impulse consumption once people go out or move around. Once this happens, home consumption trends will continue however, we predict that the gap will reduce against outdoor consumption,” he says.