Ritter Sport, the premium German chocolate manufacturer, has announced a major expansion in the UK convenience sector with new breakthrough distribution in Tesco Express.From June, its smash hit Pistachio and the iconic Dark Whole Hazelnut will be available nationwide in Tesco Express stores.
The move marks a strategic milestone for Ritter Sport, building on success in Sainsbury’s Locals and their exceptional performance within the independent convenience channel. Ritter Sport is now extending its reach into Tesco Express, driving incremental category value via new shopper missions featuring their premium, taste-led chocolate in an on-the-go setting.
The groundbreaking Tesco Express distribution, realised outside of a standard Tesco ranging window, follows a period of exceptional category delivery for Ritter Sport in the UK, with the brand growing 210% faster than the total block chocolate market (Nielsen ScanTrack Grocery Multiples, 52 w/e 22.03.25).
“This is a truly landmark evolution of our partnership with Tesco,” said Benedict Daniels, managing director, Ritter Sport UK & Ireland. “Our brand performance, including key innovations such as Pistachio, is performing exceptionally well for our trade partners and consumers. Our launch into Tesco Express allows us to accelerate our incremental category value delivery for Tesco and indeed trade partners in every channel across the UK and Ireland.”
Ritter Sport’s excellent 52-week performance contributed more than double its fair share of value growth to the total block chocolate category. In multiple major retailers, this figure rises to more than three times its fair share through a combination of optimised product ranging, greater distribution and an increased purchase frequency. This has resulted in Ritter Sport’s highest ever weighted distribution of 50.9% in the Grocery Multiples Market, a rise of 13.5 percentage points in the past year. This means that more than 2 million UK households are now enjoying Ritter Sport (Nielsen Homescan, 52 w/e 28.12.24). With further distribution gains confirmed and a pipeline of product innovation, the brand will be adding more incremental value into the category throughout 2025.
Ritter Sport continues to modernise and expand its footprint through a differentiated approach to brand-building and category development. The Tesco Express listing is expected to further solidify Ritter Sport’s position as a leading player in the UK premium chocolate segment.
