Mangaluru: The Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Co-operative ( Campco ) Ltd is planning its third chocolate kiosk in the coastal city.Operating two such kiosks - one at Puttur where its chocolate factory is located and the other in Bengaluru - the multi-state co-operative has now set its sights on the coastal city to start its third kiosk. The kiosk will sell Campco’s entire range of chocolates and drinking chocolate powder.Suresh Bhandary, managing director, Campco Ltd, told TOI that the co-operative has scouted for a premise at a vantage location at City Centre Mall on K S Rao Road. “We are awaiting allotment of the same, which I believe could be auctioned,” he said. “If this premise that we have seen does not materialise, Campco is also looking at an alternate site which draws good footfalls that will help boost chocolate sales,” he added.Noting that the sales from the other two exclusive chocolate outlets are encouraging, Suresh said the cooperative at present is selling 21 varieties of chocolates in moulded, enrobed, éclair and drinking chocolate powder segment. The cooperative in fact netted Rs 37 crore sales through retail sales of chocolates weighing 2,600 tonnes during 2017-18, he said, vouching for the popularity of the range of chocolates produced out of its Puttur factory.The cooperative that also undertakes job works for multi-national companies supplying them with raw material for their end products netted revenue of Rs 211 crore from its chocolate business including the Rs 37 crore from its retail sales. Suresh said the cooperative was not in direct competition with the MNC chocolate manufacturers despite this internal tie-up for the final finished product from the two entities were totally different.

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