Candy trends from Europe: Why they matter to U.S. retail candy buyers. (Trade Talk).

Harry Potter is now drawing Star Wars-size crowds in American movie theaters, but the boy sorcerer conquered Europe months ago with a host of chocolate and confectionery products. Nothing is hotter right now on the continent than Harry Potter Chocolate Frogs and Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans

Why should what's happening in Europe interest U.S. candy buyers? Beyond the fact that markets are globalizing faster than ever, the truth is that trends abroad often influence the American market in the long run. The hottest trendsetters have the ability to jump the "pond" and conquer America, like the Beatles leading the British invasion in pop music in 1964. Others generate ideas that are copied and cloned for domestic consumption by U.S. candymakers.

"We do need to be concerned because consumers are always intrigued by things that are imported such as chocolate," says Suzanna Eygabroat, manager of Information Services with Marketing Intelligence Service of Naples, N.Y.

The confectionery market is also growing faster in Europe than elsewhere. One of the best examples is the United Kingdom, where candy and sweets rank second only to soft drinks at retail. While many other industries in the UK have shown considerable slippage in the past 20 years, confectionery has remained remarkably stable, with both retail value and volume steadily increasing. That strength reflects the level of product innovation and the emphasis on branding, advertising and promotion.

Growth market

In general, production and consumption continue to grow in Europe while many other world markets have slipped, indicating the continent's collective sweet tooth. It's also an indicator of the EU's trade strength, which rose more than 12 percent compared to the rest of the world in 2000.

From a bird's eye view, it would be a mistake to think of the European market as a single entity, despite its recent political and economic attempts at unity. "Trends may be present but they may not be universal across Europe," says Mike Feinson of Mulberry House Consultancy Services in Bury St. Edmunds in the UK, one of the industry's leading analysts.

Rather than looking at Europe in its totality, Feinson says, market watchers have to slice and dice. "Europe is still made of a large number of countries which have different institutions, speak different languages, have different eating preferences, and different choices of popular foods.