Candy Helps Shoppers Satisfy Their Sweet Tooth During the Holidays (and Beyond)
Content provided by Naturally Network partner SPINS
The holiday season is filled with so many baked goods that candy often gets left out of the conversation. Early calendar holidays like Valentine’s Day and Easter are associated with candy, as well as the obvious king of all candy events: Halloween. Yet, trends in candy sales show that this category has sustained strength in natural and specialty positioning groups.
The Surprising Staying Power of Candy
While performance is steady throughout the summer, the spike that occurs near Halloween is most pronounced for conventionally positioned products, but specialty wellness products display their own uptick, although not as dramatically. As we move into the winter months, however, the sales spikes in both specialty wellness and natural products are more prominent. Candy’s long-tail performance comes from the various types of engagement it receives from the end-of-year holiday season through spring:
Candies such as candy canes, chocolate squares, truffle boxes, and candy-coated items have multiple uses for shoppers. These items are convenient to have around the house for entertaining, many serve as ingredients for holiday recipes, and candy canes serve double duty as candy and decoration.
During the Halloween season, allergen-friendly is a fast-growing attribute that is becoming more popular across the store and especially in the candy aisle. SPINS data shows a breadth of items with this attribute growing nearly 3% YOY in 2022. When you look at the type of items growing exclusively during this timeframe it makes sense that it’s things like lollipops, chocolate mixes, and bites that you find in individual Halloween packs.
The weeks around Thanksgiving tend to attract shoppers who want candies to enjoy some seasonal indulgences, particularly for after-meal dessert pairings. Plus, candy bowls around the house and office are more common additions during this period.
While sales take a strong dip in the weeks after New Year’s Eve, Valentine’s Day brings an increase in February in the conventional, specialty and wellness, and natural categories. Easter brings a similar though less dramatic spike in March or April that rounds out candy’s seasonal highs until fall comes back.
The Wide Reach of Christmas
As anyone who walks into a retail store in November knows, Christmas items begin popping up on shelves before Thanksgiving (and sometimes even before Halloween), blurring the line between shopping trends. Based on year-over-year data for 2021 v 2020*, Candy canes grew a staggering 2,252% in November, clearly kicking off Christmas season for many shoppers. Though not quite as robust, candy canes still experienced an impressive 175% increase in December.
Other candies also performed well, many of which appeal to shoppers who might not celebrate Christmas or who might incorporate them into their New Year’s Even plans:
Chocolate-covered cherry cordials were up 206%
Chocolate truffle assorted boxes grew 179%
Chocolate-covered potato chips increased 154%
Chocolate squares were up 136%
As the holiday season continues, watch as shoppers turn to the candy aisle for everything from their baked goods to their holiday gatherings. Even as the new year brings a brief slowdown, prepare for the two additional boosts that come in the end of winter and the start of spring and maximize the ongoing demand for candy.
*Based on SPINSScan Natural Enhanced (proprietary) and Conventional Multi Outlet (powered by IRI) for the 4 Weeks Ending 10-31-2021, 11-28-2021, and 12-26-2021 vs Prior Period SS Candy.
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