It’s always been a day of celebrating romance but this Valentine’s Day, our confectionery members are opening up February 14 to friendship, too.
Koko Black has unveiled fresh new designs for its personalised gift boxes and Haigh’s Chocolates has released a wide range of treats celebrating love and friendship — from individual foiled hearts to beautifully wrapped gift boxes.
Darrell Lea is bringing back the heart-shaped chocolate it launched last Valentine’s Day. The pink-foiled heart has become a limited-time treat: It’s available only around Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day.
Koko Black, on a high after the successful launch of its Brisbane store in December, says its Valentine’s Day range is for “the spark, the soulmate, the bestie or just for you”.
“We listen to the voice of our customer closely,” Koko Black spokesperson Jennifer Aitchison said.
“We ask lots of questions about who they're buying for, so we understand Valentine's Day can mean a range of things to different people — extended well beyond just an occasion for lovers.
“Mums gift our boxes to their daughters, girlfriends spoil each other.
“Chocolate and Valentine’s go hand in hand, so it’s joyous to celebrate this day more widely.”
Many girls already celebrate friendship with Galentine’s Day parties and festivities: wearing a splash of pink or red and gifting each other chocolates.
GODIVA Australia’s Alice’s Tea Party-themed gift boxes featuring chocolates with names such as Ace of Hearts, Dark Teapot and Pink Raspberry Heart have been created for such occasions.
February 14 has also become a culture-boosting way of celebrating camaraderie in the office, with Palentine’s Day morning teas and the like.
Among Koko Black’s collections are gift boxes in new Valentine’s Day designs that can be personalised with not just a message but a photo, too.
“Don't worry if you've left it to the last minute — most people do,” Ms Aitchison said.
“It tends to be a last-minute occasion. Although we’ve been selling very early, we’ll be selling most of our stock in the days leading up to Saturday.
“You can get your chocolates delivered to most CBD locations around the country within four hours.”
Trade at the chocolatier’s new Brisbane store is going so well, further stores are already on the cards.
“We opened our Brisbane store in the CBD just before Christmas, and it was such a warm reception,” Ms Aitchison said.
“A lot of people are familiar with the brand and really excited to have Koko Black arrive.
“They showed up in the first couple of weeks and have been doing so since.
“It’s a high-foot-traffic store, so we have lots of people discovering us.
“We’re thrilled. We’ll definitely be looking at opening more stores in Brisbane.
“We’ve got a pretty aggressive rollout plan.”
Tim Piper, Head of Australian Industry Group’s Confectionery Sector and our State Head of Victoria, said the buzz surrounding Valentine’s Day reflected the excitement building for ConTech2026 – the confectionery industry’s premier event on Tuesday, 2 June, in Melbourne.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of ConTech.
"Like Valentine's Day, ConTech is an occasion to celebrate the joy that confectionery brings, as well as industry learning,” Mr Piper said.
“ConTech2026 will be an event to remember as we celebrate 30 wonderful years of coming together as an industry to share the latest trends and insights.
“As always, there will be a trade exhibition and networking opportunities. Our evening event will be suitably unforgettable.”
Australian Industry Group’s Confectionery Sector supports members with confectionery advocacy, news and information and assistance with technical confectionery matters.
Click here to explore ConTech2026 sponsorship opportunities, and save the date: June 2!
We thank our principal sponsor Manildra Group | Sunshine Sugar for their ongoing support of ConTech.
Wendy Larter is Communications Manager at Australian Industry Group.
A former journalist for newspapers and magazines including The Courier-Mail in Brisbane and Metro, the News of the World, The Times and Elle in the UK, she is passionate about giving businesses a voice.
