Dive Brief:
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Kinder Eggs are set to hit American grocery and drug store shelves in 2018, according to Fortune.
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The candy-toy combo is hugely popular outside of the U.S. — Ferrero sells 3.5 billion Kinder Eggs a year —but U.S. regulations prohibit the sale of its Kinder Surprise product because the plastic toy-containing capsule within the chocolate egg is considered a choking risk. The company is the world’s fourth-largest candy maker, but has only 2.3% of the American market.
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For the U.S. market, Ferrero will release Kinder Joy, an egg-shaped treat in two sealed halves, with one containing a milk crème and cocoa flavoring with wafer bites to be eaten with an included spoon, and the other containing a toy. Kinder Joy was launched in 2001 for warm-weather markets, while Kinder Surprise made its debut in 1974.
Dive Insight:
The Kinder launch is part of Ferrero’s wider push into the U.S. market, and coincides with the release of other new products, including a gum version of Tic Tacs. The world’s first Nutella café is also set to open in Chicago on May 31.
Chief executive Giovanni Ferrero took over ownership of the company after his father, Michele Ferrero, died last year. Targeting the U.S. market is a major part of his strategy to expand the firm’s global presence.
While Kinder Joy is an indulgent treat aimed squarely at children, the toys in Kinder chocolate eggs have proved popular with adults too. Kinder Eggs contain a standard range of collectible toys, which usually require some assembly, as well as special limited edition sets that vary from country to country.
Although many U.S. consumers are looking for healthier snacks for themselves and their children, Ferrero is banking on demand for indulgent desserts — as well as interest from foreigners living in the U.S. and consumers who have come across Kinder when traveling abroad.
“The most important point is Nutella is delicious," President and CEO of Ferrero North America, Paul Chibe, told Fortune. "For Kinder, it is the same. Kinder at its core is a delicious confection and that’s the foundation of the brand’s success around the world and will be in the U.S. as well."
It will be interesting to see if the product's reputation as a choking hazard will discourage parents from buying the eggs for their children, or if its appearance on U.S. shelves after so many years will position it as a premium dessert item.