The Himeji plant will meet increased demand at KitKat boutique sotres and in e-commerce from local consumers and tourists.
Nestlé plans to open a second KitKat factory in Japan to satisfy demand for local flavors such as green tea and wasabi among tourists.
The newly built plant in Himeji adds production capacity beyond the firm’s chocolate factory in Kasumigaura in eastern Japan, which has produced KitKat in Japan for the domestic market since 1991.
The Himeji plant will meet increased demand at KitKat boutique sotres and in e-commerce from local consumers and tourists.
Takuya Hiramatsu, Corporate Affairs at Nestlé Japan stated that sales for KitKat in Japan is growing every year. The sales in 2016 were 1.5 times bigger than the entire year 2010. The capacity is almost full, so a KitKat factory will be built for the first time in 26 years and start operating from august 1, 2017.
The Himeji plant will produce seven premium products under the KitKat chocolatory range.