Nestle
´
: China’s Chocolate War Sideshow 165
In the Shadow of Nestle
´
Wafer
Though Nestle
´
Wafer initially helped KitKat achieve broader
distribution in China, the chocolate bar’s sales were unable to
exceed 2,000 tons in a chocolate market that was growing at
15 to 20 percent per year. Something was amiss. Though
some consumers likely passed on KitKat because it didn’t con-
tain cocoa butter, it was not a significant factor in holding
back KitKat’s sales growth. Its main challenge was that it was
too closely associated with the Nestle
´
Wafer, and its packag-
ing was largely to blame.
Retail stores are a kaleidoscope of colors and shapes. With
about 10,000 items in the average American supermarket, it
is easy for a single product to be overlooked. One technique ...