Poundland settles dispute with Toblerone maker

Black Country based single price retailer Poundland has reached a compromise agreement with the parent of confectioner Cadburys over the design of one of its chocolate bars.

Poundland has agreed to redesign its Twin Peaks bar after Mondelēz complained it was too similar to its Toblerone bar.

Poundland announced in the summer that it was partnering with a Birmingham chocolatier – Walkers Chocolates – to launch the Twin Peaks bar.

The double mountain bar, while similar in design to Toblerone, was said to have been inspired by the Wrekin Hills of Shropshire and was claimed to have a “distinctive British flavour” compared to the chocolate nougat bars from Switzerland.

Development on Twin Peaks began earlier this year after the makers of Toblerone – ironically Poundland’s top-selling item – provoked controversy by reducing the weight of the bar by 20g and changing the shape of the iconic brand.

Twin Peaks – at 180g – is said to be 20% heavier than its branded equivalent.

Walkers has geared up to produce millions of the bars but production has been threatened as a result of Mondelez stepping in and threatening legal action over infringement.

However, the confectioner did not want to create too much trouble for the retailer, which is one of its biggest customers.

The original Twin Peaks

Toblerone

Poundland has now agreed to redesign the bars and plans to have 500,000 of them on sale in its stores in the run-up to Christmas.

The redesign is intended to make the bar look more like the Shropshire hills from which it derives inspiration.

The bars will be sold in a different wrapper to distinguish them from the light-gold packaging used by Toblerone.