With cost concerns still top of mind for many customers, c-store retailers are closely monitoring trends and finding ways to entice shoppers to the candy aisle and other impulse categories.
“Customers seem less inclined to make impulsive purchase decisions, and candy is certainly an impulsive category,” said Emily Ferguson, associate category merchant, GetGo Café + Market, which has approximately 270 stores in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland and Indiana. “As such, sales are definitely challenged across the board.”
On a national scale, chocolate unit sales have dipped 4.4% for the 52 weeks ending March 24, although a 10.1% jump in price per unit pushed chocolate dollar sales up 5.2%, reaching $3.67 billion, according to Chicago-based market research firm Circana.
Within the category, AO seasonal chocolate candy sales skyrocketed, with a 217.7% boost in dollar sales and 200.8% rise in units. Sugar-free chocolate candy sales dropped the most, down by 13.3% in units and 8.6% in dollars.
Chocolate at C-Stores
At GetGo, innovation is helping to drive chocolate growth with both existing brands and newer brands. Yet even still, the mainstay candy bars remain established as top go-to options for customers, Ferguson noted.
Farmers Union Oil C-Store also recognizes the importance of the candy bar classics.
“Reese’s is our top seller by far; it has shown up consistently in our top 25 sellers,” said Diane Meeks, c-store director for Farmers Union Oil Co. of Circle and Terry, which has a single c-store in Montana.
GetGo also sees traditional flavor combinations performing well within the chocolate space, such as peanut butter, almond and caramel.
That being said, “the more unique flavor combinations,” Ferguson stated, “are more prevalent in the non-chocolate categories.”
Additionally, the chain is finding success with its GetGo-branded chocolate bars, which over the last few months have experienced significant growth.
Ferguson noted this showcases the importance GetGo customers place on value.
“We’re leaning into creating enticing promotions across our biggest brands to reinforce value with our customers,” she said.
This has become especially important for retailers amid economic concerns.
For Farmers Union Oil, on the other hand, inflation isn’t having as much of an effect on candy.
“We have had a dollar store across the street from us for a little over a year now, and we have not seen much of an impact from that. As prices have risen, we have had customers comment on the price increases, but have not seen much of an impact from it,” said Meeks.
Meeks noted that the small community the store serves remains fairly consistent with its purchases. Even with the seasonal items, they don’t sell out more than other products.
“Consistency with our customers is always our best bet,” she continued.
At GetGo, seasonal candy has been historically successful.
“We know our guests are always looking forward to seeing those products hit the shelves,” said Ferguson.
Gum and Mints
For the 52 weeks ending March 24, gum has appreciated a 4.1% lift in unit sales and a 15.9% growth in dollar sales, per Circana. Unlike with the chocolate set, the uptick in the $1.2 billion gum segment is coming largely from sugarless options. In fact, regular gum saw a 17.4% decline in unit sales.
Breath freshener unit sales overall remained flat at c-stores (-0.5%), while dollar sales jumped 10.5%. Within the category, plain mint unit sales dropped by 7.9%.
At GetGo, gum and mint sales are increasing across all pack sizes and flavors. “We’re noticing sales continuing to return to what they were before the pandemic,” Ferguson said.
Wrigley Extra Spearmint is the No. 1 seller within gum and mints for Farmers Union Oil.
Overall, Ferguson believes innovation and new trends will play huge roles in the future of candy, gum and mints.
“The entire category will continue to benefit from the influence of social media trends and other trending products,” she said.
