4 Unthinkable Places Where To Sell Fine Chocolate

To sell fine chocolate can be tiring, frustrating and demotivating.Competitors are everywhere. Margins get lower. Wholesalers dictate the rules. Consumers need to be educated. Everybody is looking for the next trending flavors, the best marketing strategies and the most successful collaborations.Why does the fine chocolate business have to be so hard?Because fine chocolate is the only luxury item that people expect to pay at a mass-market price. The same consumers that wouldn't blink an eye for a $400 silver ring by Tiffany or a $200 bottle of Dom Perignon find it difficult to open their wallets for a $12 fine chocolate bar. Only a niche of chocolate aficionados understands the implications in producing fine chocolate and is willing to pay a full price. How to convince the rest?Chocolate companies still have plenty of chances to convert those who haven't experienced the joy of fine chocolate yet. If the old methods haven't worked so far, it's time to think outside the box.Everybody knows where fine chocolate can be found. Company-owned retail stores, organic and health-oriented supermarkets, specialty stores, food markets, local festivals. These are the common places where we can expect fine chocolate. What if chocolate companies start placing their products where fine chocolate IS NOT expected? Will the surprise effect push more people to try fine chocolate?Here is a list of 5 unthinkable places where chocolate companies can sell fine chocolate to intrigue new customers (and make the loyal ones explode with joy!).Check these out! 

• AIRPLANES - A match made in Heaven the sky.

When was the last time you took a flight?If it wasn't more than 3 years ago, you probably remember the disappointing feeling of not being fed much food during your stay in the air. Now passengers can find themselves coping with a 5 hour flight surviving on packaged pretzels. Airlines are dramatically cutting costs. This implies less free-food in favor of paid sandwiches, snack boxes and more. Paper menus rule the flights, and swiping cards at 35,000 feet (10,700 meters) is now a thing in Economic Class too.Can fine chocolate companies take advantage of this trend?Being part of the paid food offered by airline companies might be the winning move to get a chocolate brand known across the ocean. Thousands of passengers from all over the World travel in the sky every day to reach their vacation and business destinations. Trapped in their tiny seats for hours, they look at the food menu at least a thousand times to see what's worth buying.The chocolate offered can be presented either by itself or inside the snack boxes (now extremely popular on flights). Margins might not be the highest and storing will have to be taken care of carefully, but international exposure is guaranteed. 

• AIRPORTS - Taste luxury while travelling.

For a true chocolate lover finding fine chocolate at airports is a personal challenge. Snack booths, sandwich chains, cafes, duty-free stores, even souvenir shops. There is no place that a fino de aroma aficionado would let uncovered when in search for a fix. Unfortunately, the results will be very disappointing most of the times. Shelves after shelves after shelves will reveal that Hershey's, Mars, Cadbury and unknown premium local brands have the monopoly.How to put an END to this infinite frustration?It's all a matter of positioning. A $10 chocolate bar doesn't belong next to cheap snacks, gossip magazines and postcards. If the average consumer thinks of fine chocolate as an overpriced item, well, then it belongs to airports' luxury stores with other overpriced items. Placing it next to mass-market chocolate won't serve any logic. Those who can afford fine chocolate (and won't question its price) are found wandering in high-end stores while waiting for their flights. THERE is where companies have the potential to sell fine chocolate. 

• HOTELS - Chocolate made for comfort.

Candies, marshmallows, caramels, mints. Cookies and cupcakes for the luckiest. This is how hotels like to welcome their guests at the front desk and in the rooms. They know that something sweet is well appreciated after hours of travelling, and don't miss the chance to soothe their customers. For accommodations that range from one to three stars, the treats are nothing that can't be found at a supermarket. It's the luxury hotels that fine chocolate companies should have on their radars instead.Many are the agreements that can be made between a chocolate brand and a hotel.A winning strategy sees mini-chocolate samples placed at the reception and in every room, so that guests are exposed to that one brand many times during their stay. A brochure in the room will inform the guests of the possibility to either buy that same chocolate at the hotel boutique or have it delivered in their room. Since the potential customers had already tried the samples, the chances of a purchase will be very high. 

• BOOKSTORES - Time to give some flavor to culture.

How do you like to read?A cup of tea has always been the winner in everybody's heart. Feeling like in a penthouse in London, this warm drink makes avid readers reach the Nirvana. But it might be time to give consumers a more flavorful and intense tradition to follow. More than chocolate and wine, a fantastic pairing can be found in fine chocolate and books. Frequent readers are the perfect segment of consumers that would appreciate fine chocolate as well.What simpler way to convert them than placing fine chocolate right next to their favorite items?Buying books is considered a pleasure. When consumers step into a bookstore, they are there to treat themselves. If they find fine chocolate too, they will rarely miss the chance for a bigger pleasure. Famous bookstore chains have already strong contracts with well-established premium chocolate brands (see Barnes&Noble and Godiva in the US). Fine chocolate companies should target small/medium independent bookstores to find success with this strategy. The products can be carried either on dedicated shelves or next to the register. Flights, airports, hotels and bookstores are places with currently low to no competition to sell fine chocolate. Difficulties and limitations may apply in terms of taxes, law, profit margins, costs, previous agreements and the like.Nonetheless, fine chocolate companies shouldn't miss the chance to look into these markets for great opportunities. Where would YOU like to find fine chocolate?I did NOT get paid and did NOT receive any kind of favor for writing this article. These are my honest opinions at your service.