Sweet Success

Steven Erwin envisions Unifam to become a major global player in the confectionery and F&B industry.

- Ulisari Eslita

The global confectionery sector is expected to grow from $341.61 billion in 2020 to $360.11 billion in 2021, a CAGR of 5.4%, according to the Sugar and Confectionery Products Global Market Report 2021 published by The Business Research Company. As was the trend last year, Asia Pacific is expected to be the primary driver for demand in this sector, accounting for 48% of the global confectionery market, followed by Western Europe at around 18%.

United Family Food, or Unifam, is one of the key players driving the confectionery industry's growth in Indonesia and throughout the region. While many businesses have been impacted by the pandemic, Unifam has outperformed the FMCG industry, which grew by only 1.5% last year.

COVID-19 has changed our business. We have experienced the greatest growth during this pandemic. We have grown by 21% year-to-date and expect to grow by 27% next year, says Steven Erwin, CEO of Unifam, one of the largest confectioneries, food, and beverage companies in the country. Although Steven declined to disclose sales figures, he stated that the company aims to generate at least Rp3 trillion in revenue next year.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created difficulties for confectionery producers, as students, who are the largest consumers of confectionery products, have been unable to attend school since the pandemic began early last year. Without a doubt, the circumstances presented attractive opportunities for those players, like Unifam, who could gain and leverage a better understanding of consumer behavior changes and therefore become more agile and flexible in their marketing strategies.