Starbucks premium Mocha Dark Chocolate
Hershey said Thursday that will no longer market the Starbucks brand of premium chocolate reported CNNMoney.com. Not only are consumers spending less on specialty coffee during this recession, but it appears they’re spending less on high-end chocolate as well.
Starbucks and Hershey announced their partnership to offer a premium chocolate back in 2007. The goal was to have expert chocolatiers develop “products that translate Starbucks coffee-house flavors into delicious and distinct chocolate products” according to a July press release. But the timing was bad because the economy started to turn soon after.
During a Thursday conference call, Hershey Chief Executive David West stated,
The timing of the launch of the Starbucks proposition, frankly, we just missed the window. Our partner obviously had some other business challenges and the consumer at that price point wasn't sustainable."
The one positive coming out of the Hershey / Starbucks relationship was the further development of Starbucks Cocoa Practices. The Cocoa Practices were developed based on the foundation of Starbucks C.A.F.E. (Coffee and Farmer Equity) Practices, the Company's ethical coffee sourcing guidelines. The program is designed to evaluate and recognize producers of high-quality, sustainably grown cocoa. To become a Cocoa Practices supplier, farmers, processors and exporters must meet minimum requirements and demonstrate best practices which are subject to independent verification under the guidelines. Hershey and Starbucks worked together to pilot a two-year program and implement these practices.
Even with the end of the Starbucks partnership, hopefully, Hershey will continue its commitment to promoting sustainable cocoa farming.
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