Kshocolt

Product: Kshocolât

People behind it: 
Name: Simon Coyle

Simon Coyle, 32, trained as a management accountant and worked for IBM, William Grant & Sons (Scotland’s largest independent whisky producer) and then Diageo. After taking some time out to travel at the end of the 1990s, he spotted a gap in the UK market for stylish high-end chocolate products. Coyle found that while luxury chocolate brands were available in other countries, there were none in the UK. So in 2001, backed by two bank loans and his own savings, Coyle put £30,000 into launching Kshocolât in Glasgow – while still working for Diageo, based in London.

How innovative?
Coyle believed the UK chocolate market was limited, old-fashioned and under-developed, particularly the gifting market. Kshocolât was to be a range of upmarket, adult chocolates that would fill a gap in this market. The first products were launched in 2003 and, from the start, the brand stood out for its range of unusual flavours – lemon and black pepper; orange and cardamom; and chilli – and its packaging, particularly the stylish tins.

Market success
Kshocolât really started to take off in 2007, with an expansion of packaging formats, including impulse buys and sampler sizes, and distribution through major supermarkets. Since launching in 2003, the brand has increased its distribution by 40,000% and sales by 1,500%, and is now available in over 2,000 stores worldwide, including Harvey Nichols and Liberty and supermarket chains Waitrose and Sainsbury’s.

How it fits
Kshocolât’s success is based on its attention to detail, clever exploitation of broadening consumer tastes, solid new product development and a “virtual company” model. Kshocolât’s production is handled by half a dozen key manufacturers and a dozen smaller specialists in the UK, France and Belgium. Coyle is also willing to adapt his ideas when necessary to encourage consumer trial.