Darrell Lea

Background

Darrell Lea is an iconic Australian confectionery brand, delighting consumers since 1927 with beloved treats like Rocklea Road and soft-eating liquorice. In recent years, it's grown rapidly in Australia’s mainstream “fun chocolates” category, launching unique flavours and formats that captured significant market share and turned it into a national favourite.

Opportunity

With the Chinese chocolate market valued at around USD 3.9 billion in 2024 and forecast to grow at around 4.5–5.8% annually, there’s ample room for brands offering fun, flavourful alternatives to the usual mass-market options. James Tyler seized the moment by securing listings for Darrell Lea in high-traffic premium and new‑retail stores: Alibaba’s Freshippo, Ole, and City Super, thereby putting the brand front and centre in stores where the our target market – Gen Z and Millennials – love to shop and discover new global brands.

Outcome

Darrell Lea launched strong in China, blending in-store impact with digital finesse. James Tyler took the reins on all premium retail and digital promotion, layering in-store visibility with targeted online activity to drive sales velocity and UPSPW. It’s the ideal start: combining novelty, taste, and performance to plant Darrell Lea firmly in the hearts (and carts) of Chinese consumers, and primed for even broader reach.