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Seasonal Candy Some of our customers are selling 10,000 of these a week in their stores. Some of the fans and talkers have organic Jelly Belly jelly beans because we know this younger parent consumer is not only looking for the Baby Shark license, but also a betterfor-you organic candy.” —Clark Taylor, CandyRific

A Sweeter Hallowthanksmas HOW TO GE T THE CANDY ASSORTMENT RIGHT FOR THE HOT TEST HOLIDAY CANDY SE ASON E VER. By Gina Acosta or food retailers looking to drive maximum sales and profits in candy during the fall and winter holidays, two words should be at the forefront of buying decisions: Baby Shark. Well, maybe eight words: Baby Shark, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo. Those are the addictive, dopamine-stimulating lyrics to the viral hit song “Baby Shark,” which took the internet by storm back in 2016 yet is still capturing the attention of American families, especially in the candy category. During an interview at the Sweets & Snacks Expo, held in Indianapolis in June, Clark Taylor, SVP sales and marketing of Louisville, Ky.-based CandyRific, said that his company can’t make enough Baby Shark novelties and candy products.

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"Some of our customers are selling 10,000 of these a week in their stores,” said Taylor, whose Baby Shark novelties come in a variety of flavors, styles and betterfor-you options for the younger consumer. “Some of the fans and talkers have organic Jelly Belly jelly beans because we know this younger parent consumer is not only looking for the Baby Shark license, but also a better-for-you organic candy.” Baby Shark remains the most watched YouTube video ever, with more than 9 billion views. The animated television series has also been a hit, and now there’s an original animated film coming from Nickelodeon and set for release possibly in 2023. The Baby Shark trend is just one reason that Halloween, Christmas and the spring holidays may bring food retailers sweeter candy sales than ever. After more than a year of lockdowns and restrictions, the American consumer is ready to celebrate, and candy is poised to be a major part of what are predicted to be supersized gatherings. In addition, the U.S. economy has reopened, shoppers still

Key Takeaways Get your holiday candy assortment on the shelf early. The major holidays fall on weekends, so shoppers will be planning big gatherings. If all else fails, remember to order more Baby Shark candy.


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