CONFECTIONERY

Launches

l Confectionery distributor World of Sweets has revealed new products for Novelty Warheads. New Candy Pops allow customers to push a button to see Wally’s head twist open to reveal a sour strawberry flavoured lollipop. Packs of 12 x 8g are available with an RRP of £1.29.

l World of Sweets is also stocking the brand new licence from Pez, which includes toy brand Playmobil with Police Officer, Firefighter, Princess and Knight varieties. Packs of 12 x 17g have an RRP of £2.

l Bebeto is launching two vegan lines, Fizzy Vegan Peach Hearts and Fizzy Vegan Ring Mix, to the core 150g range. The Peach Hearts are soft gummy heart-shaped sweets with a fizzy, tangy coating, with peach flavour, and the Ring Mix are chewy, gummy ring-shaped sweets in strawberry, apple and raspberry flavours with a tangy, fizzy coating. Both are vegan approved and halal certified.

l Chupa Chups has diversified its Big Babol chewing gum portfolio with new Green Apple aimed at teen shoppers. Big Babol Green Apple is available in six individually wrapped pieces per pack.

l World of Sweets’ Candy Realms brand has introduced new Value Bags – Sour Bears, Jelly Blue Babies and Sour Dummies. Each is vegan, with an RRP of £1 for 190g.

l As a licensed partner, Rose Marketing UK will be launching new lines with Slush Puppie, including Sipz Liquid Candy and Candyfloss this year.

l Swizzels recently launched new Minions Sherbet Dips with three flavours – Fizzy Orange, Sour Apple, and Tangy Berry – and frozen Drumstick-flavoured Squashies slush drinks.

l Mars Wrigley has launched Sugar Free Extra Refreshers Strawberry Lemon to entice new consumers to the category. The fruity gum will be available in stores nationwide from early summer with an RRP of 65p for a single pack and £2.75 for a bottle.

Suppliers also highlight that wider food industry preoccupations, particularly HFSS legislation, will impact what products are launched.

“Manufacturers will continue to innovate with HFSS-compliant ‘fruit-snack-like’ products, and they are likely to continue to surge within the confectionery sector,” says Gabriella Egleton, senior brand manager of confectionery company Kervan Gida UK.

However, as the cost and availability of sugar alternatives, such as dextrose, are a challenge, innovation is likely to be slow, and demand cannot be relied upon.

Jay Patel, of Jay’s Budgens in Crofton Park, London, says: “I would say we have two types of customers. Some people are very aware of issues such as sustainability and health, and some don’t care.”

Affordable Treats

The cost-of-living crisis is having an impact on sales, with prices going up and pack sizes being reduced. Margins are not as good as they once were, sitting at around 25% to 30%. Patel focuses on fair prices across the board, with some price-marked packs (PMPs). Sweets are mostly bought by children, so they need pocket-money prices.

“Customers have less to spend these days,” he says. “Where someone might come in and buy three items, now they just buy two. We do have some PMPs, but we always make sure our prices remain fair. In some shops in tourist areas, you see lines that we are selling for £1.25 going for £2.75, but you can’t do that in a small local shop.”

Retailers should therefore focus on using confectionery to generate add-on sales. “People do come in to buy sweets and then pick up something else as well, such as crisps or bakery products or drinks,” says Mamode.

With the summer holidays now coming, retailers also highlight a move to larger pack formats.

“People are buying more sharing packs and multipacks to take with them somewhere. We are selling tubs of sweets and bags and so on, normally customers will just buy an individual bag,” says Patel.

Susan Nash, trade communications manager at Mondelez International, adds: “We’ve seen that shoppers are increasingly looking to enjoy evenings at home as a more cost-effective way to spend time together. This subsequent increase in the big-night-in occasion can be catered to with our gifting and sharing formats.”

A final point for retailers to consider is that point-of-sale display is key to attracting impulse sales. Aisle-end displays are good places to stock eye-catching novelty items – placed at a low heights so children can spot them – or for easy-to-grab impulse items.

“Themed shelving and displays in store are a great way for retailers to encourage promotional sales and appeal to customers of all ages,” says Hancocks’ Kathryn Hague. l