TL;DR
Are you wondering what candies you should stock at your bodega, grocery store, or cafe? The National Confectioners Association did a study of consumer tastes and preferences for National Candy Month. Participation in National Candy Month has increased by 8,771% in two years, from 570 to over 50,000 stores joining the promotions. Chocolates, gummy candies, and salt water taffy are the top candies enjoyed during the summer, while watermelon, cherry, and strawberry are the favorite flavors.
The Most Popular Flavors of National Candy Month:
June is National Candy Month! The retail activation for National Candy Month took off in 2020 with the participation of 570 stores. By 2022, over 50,000 stores joined in the summer promotions, showcasing the delightful and distinctiveness of chocolates and candies, an 8,771% increase in two years.
Chocolates and candies are a uniquely tasty and portable dessert for beach visits, road trips, camping adventures, and outdoor concerts. All three are incredibly popular in the summertime. According to the National Confectioners Association, 81% of consumers agree that chocolates and candies bring more fun to their lives.
The NCA recently conducted a nationwide consumer poll, asking for favorite flavors and types of summer treats. For independent retailers looking for a candy that’s most likely to sell, here are the results:
Top 3 Candies
- Chocolate: a predictable first place, chocolate has been the quintessential sweet for hundreds of years. It’s a blurry line between chocolate as a product versus an ingredient. Chocolate is a key ingredient in many dessert products, including ice cream, which explains how it reached the top of this list.
- Gummy candies (bears, worms, etc): a highly versatile treat. Gummies are sweet and portable and won’t melt in reasonable summer temperatures. Gummy candy is popular all year round, but the typical fruity flavors appeal most to customers during the summer.
- Salt water taffy: a classic beach party treat, brands like Laffy Taffy and even fruit chews like Starburst are popular for much the same reason as gummy candies, just chewier.
Top 3 Flavors
The NCA listed watermelon, cherry, and strawberry as the top three flavors for candy this year. These results are fairly self-explanatory: all three are candy versions of incredibly popular foods during the summer. All three of these fruits are cool, juicy, and sweet. These candies are also complimentary to other corresponding products: fruit punch, fruit juice, and cocktails.
