Renowned Swiss chocolatier Lindt, has introduced two new products to the UK market: the Lindt Dubai Style Dark Chocolate and the Lindt Dubai Style White Chocolate. The launch aims to capitalize on the global "Dubai chocolate bar" trend, which has gained significant traction on social media and features a unique combination of chocolate with a crispy, nutty filling. The bars are available for purchase at Lindt Chocolate Shops and through the brand's UK website, lindt.co.uk.
This launch follows a string of other new products from the chocolatier this year, including the Lindt Large Pistachio Chocolate Egg, Lindor Shortbread Truffles, and new flavours in their Les Grandes and Lindt Creations ranges.
Pistachio has emerged as a leading flavour in the UK chocolate market, with its popularity heavily influenced by the viral trend. The original viral Dubai chocolate bar recipe, combines milk chocolate with a filling of creamy pistachio and crispy kataifi. This trend has also inspired other product variations, such as those featuring hazelnut, ruby chocolate, and matcha. Examples of these flavor adaptations include the Dapur Cokelat Dubai Chocolate’s Hazelnut Kunafa Dark Chocolate Bar, Patislove's Ruby Dubai Chocolate bar” featuring a ruby chocolate cream filling, The Little Whisk's Rose Nutella Dubai Chocolate, and Fine & Raw's Pistachio Matcha Chocolate Bar.
Market Dynamics: The UK Chocolate Confectionery Market
This product launch and the surrounding market activities highlight the competitive dynamics within the United Kingdom's chocolate confectionery sector. The landscape is dominated by a few key players, with both Lindt and its rivals actively pursuing strategies to strengthen their market positions.
Lindt maintains a strong position in the UK chocolate confectionery market, particularly in the premium segments. The brand holds a notable share of the overall chocolate confectionery market, accounting for share exceeding the high single digits. Its leadership is especially pronounced in the dark chocolate segment, where it commands over a fifth of the market. Furthermore, Lindt is a leading player in the premium segment, and has a strong direct-to-consumer (DTC) presence, accounting for a notable portion of this channel's sales, as well as a significant share of the grocery channel.
To bolster this position, Lindt has engaged in a variety of initiatives throughout the year. The brand has been consistent with new product innovation, introducing several limited-edition and exclusive products. For example, it launched the Lindt Large Pistachio Chocolate Egg, Lindor Shortbread Truffles, new flavours like the Les Grandes Fruit & Nut and rolled out new additions to the Lindt Creations range. Additionally, Lindt has been expanding its physical footprint in the UK by opening new stores in London and the Cotswolds, which strengthens its brand presence and DTC capabilities. The launch of the Dubai Style chocolate bars across multiple countries indicates a coordinated global strategy to leverage a popular trend and appeal to a broader, trend-conscious consumer base.
Lindt’s primary competitor, Cadbury, is the clear market leader in the UK, commanding over a fifth of the total chocolate confectionery market. Cadbury’s dominance is particularly strong in the milk chocolate segment and within the grocery channel, where it holds a leading position. Hotel Chocolat, another key rival, holds a significant position in the premium and direct-to-consumer channels. While its overall market share is smaller, it dominates the DTC channel, with a substantial share that is far ahead of Lindt's in this channel. Hotel Chocolat's activities this year have focused on expanding its retail presence with several new store openings and innovating its product range with the launch of new items like the Grand Mimosa Chocolate Selector. Notably, Hotel Chocolat also introduced a "revolutionary" new version of its popular Velvetiser hot chocolate machine, indicating a strategic focus on expanding beyond traditional chocolate bars and into related indulgent experiences.
The viral "Dubai chocolate" trend has spurred many other brands to launch their own versions, including Lindt, as well as premium competitors like Läderach and Godiva, and even grocery brands like Marks & Spencer. This widespread adoption shows how quickly brands are adapting to new consumer trends to maintain relevance and capture a slice of a popular market segment.