Where the Gains Are
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 27, 2015
Chewy candy, the largest nonchocolate segment with more than $1.2 billion in c-store sales, saw strong gains in dollars and units in the 52 weeks ending Dec. 27, 2015, according to IRI figures. Nielsen data shows c-store nonchocolate dollar sales up 6%, with units up slightly. Private label in particular had a strong 2015, with dollars up more than 28% and units rising nearly 18% in the 52 weeks ending Dec. 26, 2015.
| Candy type | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA* | Unit sales (millions) | PCYA* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonchocolate chewy candy | $1,215.8 | 10.0% | 902.7 | 4.6% |
| Breath freshener*** | $251.3 | 9.5% | 134.9 | 4.3% |
| Novelty | $201.9 | 5.8% | 153.8 | (0.9%) |
| Licorice | $123.7 | 1.8% | 67.6 | (2.0%) |
| Specialty nut/coconut | $123.5 | 4.0% | 93.5 | 1.4% |
| Hard sugar candy | $105.2 | 8.0% | 162.5 | 3.8% |
| Plain mint*** | $89.9 | 13.0% | 71.3 | 6.6% |
| Total nonchocolate | $2,118.5 | 8.6% | 1,590.5 | 3.4% |
Source: IRI | * Percent change from a year ago | *** See p. 124 for more data on breath fresheners and mints
Quarterly Look: Nonchocolate
C-store sales, 13 weeks ending Dec. 27, 2015
Eight of the top 10 c-store nonchocolate-candy UPCs saw dollar and unit sales growth in the final quarter of 2015, according to IRI.
| UPC | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA* | Unit sales (millions) | PCYA* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PayDay (3.4-oz.) | $8.9 | (0.0%) | 4.7 | (1.7%) |
| Trolli Sour Brite Crawlers Assorted (5-oz.) | $6.8 | (1.0%) | 3.8 | (3.3%) |
| Ice Breakers Cool Mint (1.5-oz.) | $6.3 | 8.3% | 2.5 | 7.3% |
| Skittles Original Fruit (4-oz.) | $5.9 | 8.8% | 3.1 | 5.2% |
| Haribo Gold Bears Assorted (5-oz.) | $5.5 | 24.6% | 3.1 | 22.7% |
| Skittles Original Fruit (2.17-oz.) | $5.4 | 5.1% | 4.3 | 5.4% |
| Sour Patch Kids (5-oz.) | $5.2 | 1.3% | 2.9 | 1.2% |
| Jolly Rancher Assorted Fruit (7-oz.) | $5.2 | 17.1% | 1.9 | 16.2% |
| Ice Breakers Wintergreen (1.5-oz.) | $5.1 | 7.8% | 2.1 | 7.4% |
| Altoids Peppermint (1.76-oz.) | $4.6 | 1.3% | 1.9 | 0.2% |
| Total** | $487.7 | 5.2% | 362.1 | 1.8% |
Source: IRI | * Percent change from a year ago | ** Including UPCs/brands/families/segments not shown
Distributor Data: Nonchocolate-Candy Shipments
Calendar Year 2015
McLane average shipments of bagged, peg nonchocolate candy rose more than 14% in 2015.
| Segment | APSW (in dollars)**** | APSW dollar growth | PCYA* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bagged candy peg | $49.56 | $6.24 | 14.4% |
| Nonchocolate standard | $44.17 | $1.29 | 3.0% |
| Candy rolls/mints/drops | $29.15 | $3.34 | 13.0% |
| Nonchocolate king | $25.87 | $4.96 | 23.7% |
| Bagged value | $24.11 | $1.83 | 8.2% |
| Stand-up pouches | $15.67 | $4.63 | 42.0% |
| Bagged candy laydown | $8.94 | $4.69 | 110.0% |
| Change makers/penny | $4.04 | $0.01 | 0.3% |
| Gummi fruit snack | $4.02 | $0.40 | 11.1% |
| Novelty candy | $2.67 | $0.57 | 27.3% |
Source: McLane Co. | * Percent change from a year ago | **** Average shipments per store per week
Nonchocolate Standard and King Size
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 26, 2015
According to Nielsen figures, sales growth of king-size nonchocolate candy was strong in 2015, with units up more than 11%. Standard nonchocolate, meanwhile, slipped nearly 5%.
Standard
| UPC | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA* | Unit sales (millions) | PCYA* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skittles Original Fruit (2.17-oz.) | $23.3 | 3.2% | 18.0 | (2.3%) |
| PayDay (1.85-oz.) | $19.5 | (3.7%) | 15.2 | (9.7%) |
| Baby Bottle Pop (1.1-oz.) | $17.8 | 29.9% | 10.5 | 22.5% |
| Juicy Drop Pop (0.92-oz.) | $16.7 | 15.1% | 8.8 | 12.3% |
| Starburst Original (2.07-oz.) | $16.2 | 2.1% | 12.5 | (3.8%) |
| Total** | $541.8 | 2.6% | 585.9 | (4.7%) |
Sources: The Nielsen Co., The Hershey Co. | * Percent change from a year ago | ** Including UPCs/brands/families/segments not shown
King-size
| UPC | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA* | Unit sales (millions) | PCYA* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PayDay (3.4-oz.) | $48.8 | 1.8% | 26.6 | (4.1%) |
| Skittles Original (4-oz.) | $30.3 | 15.6% | 16.2 | 10.1% |
| Life Savers Gummies 5 Flavors (4.2-oz.) | $22.9 | (18.3%) | 12.2 | (21.6%) |
| Starburst Original (3.45-oz.) | $19.5 | 1.5% | 10.4 | (4.2%) |
| Twizzlers Twists (5-oz.) | $18.5 | 5.2% | 9.8 | 0.3% |
| Total** | $283.2 | 17.1% | 153.0 | 11.3% |
Sources: The Nielsen Co., The Hershey Co. | * Percent change from a year ago | ** Including UPCs/brands/families/segments not shown
Continued: Chewy, Novelty, Licorice & Hard Candy
Chewy Candy
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 27, 2015
Strong sales of Skittles and private label helped push unit sales of chewy candy up nearly 5% in 2015, according to IRI.
| Brand | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA* | Unit sales (millions) | PCYA* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skittles | $139.0 | 12.2% | 88.0 | 4.3% |
| Starburst | $94.4 | 9.1% | 57.8 | 0.9% |
| Private label | $74.7 | 26.7% | 55.4 | 20.0% |
| Airheads | $52.0 | 10.9% | 72.0 | 6.0% |
| Sour Patch Kids | $49.9 | 11.0% | 29.0 | 6.5% |
| Total** | $1,215.8 | 10.0% | 902.7 | 4.6% |
Source: IRI | * Percent change from a year ago | ** Including UPCs/brands/families not shown
4.6% – Increase in c-store unit sales of nonchocolate chewy candy in 2015, per IRI
Novelty Candy
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 27, 2015
Topps Baby Bottle Pop and Topps Juicy Drop Pop saw double-digit gains in c-store unit sales in 2015, according to IRI.
| Brand | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA* | Unit sales (millions) | PCYA* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wonka SweeTarts | $29.2 | 2.9% | 18.1 | (0.1%) |
| Topps Baby Bottle Pop | $17.5 | 26.0% | 10.3 | 20.1% |
| Wonka Spree | $16.9 | (3.9%) | 11.7 | (12.1%) |
| Topps Juicy Drop Pop | $14.1 | 16.2% | 7.4 | 12.1% |
| Wonka Nerds | $13.5 | (5.2%) | 10.4 | (10.4%) |
| Total** | $201.9 | 5.8% | 153.8 | (0.9%) |
Source: IRI | * Percent change from a year ago | ** Including UPCs/brands/families not shown
Licorice Candy
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 27, 2015
Sales of c-store licorice were soft in 2015, according to IRI figures.
| Brand | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA* | Unit sales (millions) | PCYA* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Twizzlers | $57.5 | 3.4% | 30.0 | (0.6%) |
| Twizzlers Pull 'n' Peel | $12.8 | 25.7% | 6.9 | 31.1% |
| Twizzlers Nibs | $11.2 | 4.8% | 6.0 | (0.6%) |
| Rips | $10.8 | (3.2%) | 5.5 | (4.6%) |
| Red Vines | $8.3 | (3.5%) | 4.1 | (7.2%) |
| Total** | $123.7 | 1.8% | 67.6 | (2.0%) |
Source: IRI | * Percent change from a year ago | ** Including UPCs/brands/families not shown
Hard Candy
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 27, 2015
C-store sales of hard candy rose 8% in 2015, according to IRI.
| Brand | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA* | Unit sales (millions) | PCYA* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jolly Rancher | $32.1 | 5.4% | 19.1 | (4.6%) |
| Lifesavers | $15.1 | 4.1% | 12.1 | 1.7% |
| Charms Blow Pop | $8.8 | (2.2%) | 35.4 | (2.5%) |
| Tootsie Roll Pops | $7.6 | 10.0% | 28.8 | 7.9% |
| Charms Super Blow Pop | $5.9 | 10.4% | 14.4 | 7.1% |
| Total** | $105.2 | 8.0% | 162.5 | 3.8% |
Source: IRI | * Percent change from a year ago | ** Including UPCs/brands/families not shown
Best Practice
Larger pack types continue to be a growth opportunity for the c-store channel in 2016, especially as more retailers carve out a space for stand-up pouches and manufacturers introduce new products. According to Alan Tobin, senior manager of category strategy and insights, c-store/VCFr/specialty/foodservice, for The Hershey Co., stand-up and peg pouches generated $92 million or 46% of candy sales growth in 2015. “These larger pack sizes are projected to continue growing in 2016 as channel lines continue to blur and stores in urban vs. rural locations become more differentiated, filling different shopper needs and trip missions,” says Tobin.
Candy: What to Watch
Chocolate
Mints/Gum/Breath Fresheners
CMOY Candy: Tim Young
View the full 2016 Category Management Handbook
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