Plan Now for Sweet Fall Sales

Summer is the right time to start planning for fall merchandise, especially when it comes to Halloween candy.

June 11, 2015

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. – Seasonal candy sales can be a sweet profit line for convenience stores, but because consumer interest tends to focus only around the actual holiday that the candy celebrates, it’s essential that category managers plan ahead to make the most of limited shelf time.

Putting candy on the shelf early, paired with strong positioning and promotion, is the best way to enjoy a healthy holiday candy season, Jenn Ellek, senior director for the National Confectioners Association, told NACS Magazine for a “Seasonal Sweet Treats” article earlier this year. “We’ve found that the seasonal-selling seasons can be quite long, and many shoppers dip into their first purchase and come back for more,” she said. “Second-time shoppers — in addition to last-minute shoppers — put enormous emphasis on the final week, which can make or break the season. We advise our retailer partners to go out early, go out strong and finish the season.”

Candymakers like Mars are already announcing their new lines for fall, starting with one of the sweetest holidays for retailers: Halloween. The company, a NACS Hunter Club Gold member, is introducing a variety of festive new Halloween-themed chocolate lines this year, including:

  • Seasonal Shapes (SNICKERS® Pumpkins and TWIX® Ghosts) in a 2-to-Go format
  • Exciting new designs (SNICKERS® Brand XScream FUN SIZE® Bag, 3 MuskeFEARS FUN SIZE® Bag)
  • New Halloween graphics for FUN SIZE® large bags, including pumpkin- and fang-adorned packaging (a pumpkin adorns the SNICKERS® FUN SIZE® Bag, while the MILKY WAY® FUN SIZE® Bag features dripping caramel in the shape of fangs)
  • Redesigned variety bags in popular piece counts

According to research cited by Mars Chocolate North America, variety packs saw the largest sales growth during the 2014 Halloween season, with 83% of consumers saying that variety bags make it easier to shop. In fact, half of surveyed consumers who bought Halloween chocolate purchased variety bags. Another notable finding was that decorating and snacking continue to be key usage occasions for seasonal treats, as buying candy for the candy dish is the second-most-popular activity behind trick-or-treating.

For more on how to make the most of these sweet opportunities, read “Seasonal Sweet Treats” in the February issue of NACS Magazine.

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