After the "cocoa crisis"

How chocolate manufacturer Heindl wants to grow again

Chocolate has become more expensive, but the desire for sweets remains high.

(Bild: Confiserie Heindl)

After a difficult year, the traditional chocolate manufacturer Heindl wants to take off again. New stores and increased production are planned. The company has already jumped on the Dubai chocolate bandwagon, but there will also be a change for customers. 

Advent is chocolate season: in November and December, the Heindl factory generates a third of its annual turnover of a good 30 million euros. After a weak summer, the year-end spurt should now sweeten the figures. November was already a record-breaking month, and now boss Andreas Heindl, whose family also owns the long-established company, is hoping for further momentum in the Christmas business. However, the high cocoa prices - which have climbed to up to GBP 10,000 per tonne - are also weighing on the Viennese manufacturer.

Cocoa price has exploded since 2023
"We have had a cocoa crisis since February 2023. In the beginning, we were able to cushion the impact because we were hedged with contracts, but now we have to buy at high prices on the market," Heindl explains in an interview with Krone. In 2024, Heindl increased prices by 18 percent in two steps, but it was not possible to pass on all of this, which depressed earnings.

The cocoa price is currently at a level of just under 8,000 pounds, compared to 2,000 pounds at the beginning of 2023. Heindl expects the situation to ease. "But it won't be as cheap as it used to be," he is certain. The price of chocolate has not risen in line with inflation for years, Heindl emphasizes, but the market is now regulating itself.

Chocolatier Andreas Heindl is planning new stores and sees a high demand for sweets.

(Bild: Confiserie Heindl)

New stores in western Austria
Nevertheless, the chocolatier is optimistic about next year and has big plans. The profits should also make it possible to invest in more growth again: the manufacturer already has 30 stores across Austria, where only Heindl and Pischinger products are sold. It generates 50 percent of its turnover there. However, the company is not yet represented in western Austria. "We would like to open stores there," says Heindl, thinking primarily of the tourist destinations of Salzburg, Innsbruck, Hallein and Kufstein.

He expects demand for chocolate to continue to rise, also in Austria. Health trends and a consumer slump are hardly dampening the desire for sweets. The company has already adapted to the vegan trend, which is already noticeable, for example the "chocolate chestnuts".

Exports to Jordan and the Emirates
Everything Heindl produces in the factory in Vienna's 23rd district is sold. Ten percent is exported, and the Viennese company delivers to Jordan and the Emirates. In Germany, the company is well represented in commercials where viewers order via television. "You wouldn't believe how well that still works these days," says Heindl.

In order to meet demand, the entrepreneur can also imagine buying land and expanding production, specifically from 12,000 to over 14,000 square meters. "However, we want to remain loyal to our location. Because our greatest treasure is our employees."

Dubai chocolate is also a bestseller at Heindl
And these 170 employees in the factory can barely keep up with the production of Dubai chocolate. Heindl has also jumped on the bandwagon of the hype surrounding the chocolate filled with pistachios and "angel hair". From next year, the trend product will also be available in supermarkets.