Salty snacks and confectionery rank third and fourth overall in food sales, and first and second among snack foods. The cookie category (ranked fourth among snack foods) also experienced a 1.1% growth last year; snack and granola bars (ranked fifth in snack categories) grew 3%.
Major [image-nocss] sales trends that helped shape the category in 2009 include: Dark chocolate sales slowed compared to previous years, but still grew an impressive 9%. Coconut and nut confectionery grew 12.1%. Gummy and chewy candy is up 11.6%. Theater box candies grew 6% (indicates increased attention to value brands and sizes in keeping with the economy). Sugar-free gum grew 7.3%. Licorice grew 4.7%. With more than 480 manufacturers previewing new products during the National Confectioners Association's 2010 Sweets & Snacks Expo, held this week in Chicago, the NCA offered its annual list of leading new-product trends, They include:
Chocolate-Covered Everything: America's love for chocolate cannot be stopped as manufacturers look for more and more treats to cover with chocolate. While local gourmands may seek out chocolate-covered bacon and mushrooms at their hometown confectioners, mainstream America will look for more classic items, such as the crunchy, salted center of M&M'S Pretzel Chocolate Candies from Mars Chocolate North America; Bake Shoppe Cookie Dough Miniatures, a chocolate-covered creation from The Promotion in Motion Cos.; Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies from Albanese Confectionery; and Chocolate-Covered Peeps from Just Born.
Twisted Traditions: New twists on classic candies are beloved by consumers who find comfort in familiar brands but want to try new and innovative ways to enjoy their favorite snacks. From The Hershey Co., consumers will be treated to Hershey's Drops, bite-sized versions of Hershey's milk chocolate or cookies 'n' creme candies. Others in the same vein include Reese's Minis; Mars' TWIX Java Chocolate Cookie Bars; Milky Way Simply Caramel Bar; New England Confectionery Co.'s (NECCO) Sweethearts conversation hearts reimagined with New Moon Sweethearts Fire and Ice featuring intensely cool flavors for Team Edward fans and intensely hot flavors for Team Jacobs fans; sugar-free 5 React from Wrigley, a gum that stimulates a consumer's senses with either a mint or fruit flavor experience; and Nestle Butterfinger Snackerz, a crispy, bite-size square, filled with a smooth Butterfinger creme center, wrapped in a chocolatey coating and drizzled with a string of Butterfinger candy on top.
Up in the Air: Snacking practically takes flight with new aerated confections, such as the 3 Musketeers Truffle Crisp Bar from Mars; Nestle Confections & Snack Divisions' Wonka Whipped Wingers; and Skinny Mini's, the lightweight vegetable and potato stick snacks from Cornfields Inc.
REAL Good: Today's consumer focus on natural and wholesome ingredients has not gone unnoticed by the confectionery and snack industry. Honey as an ingredient and as a flavor harkens back to the origins of sweetened confections, but seems as fresh and new as any innovation with Honey Bean, a Jelly Belly jelly bean infused with wildflower honey, and new Honey Lovers, colorful heart-shaped fruit chews made with real honey offered by Gimbal's Fine Candies. Other new products with wholesome, simple ingredients: Get Movin' snack crackers by Partners; Nutorious nut confections; Wonka Squishy Sploshberries; and Vegan Chocolate Truffles from Native Gardens.
The Galloping Gourmet: Asher's Chocolates proves that the combination of sweet and salty is as popular as ever with its Vanilla Caramels with Sea Salt. Other new products with "gourmet" appeal: Ferrara's Milk Chocolate Strawberry Ball; Jelly Belly's Cocktail Classics in mojito, peach bellini and other flavors; Madelaine Chocolate's double-filled truffles, Duets; Wonka's Exceptionals line, which includes the Domed Dark Chocolate Bar, the Chocolate Waterfall Bar, the Scrumdiddlyumptious Bar, Fruit Jellies and Fruit Marvels.
Fresh-N-Fruity: Products bursting on the scene with fresh and powerful flavors include: American Licorice Co's Grapevines; Jolly Rancher Awesome Twosome Chews from Hershey; Extra Fruit Sensations Sweet Tropical gum from Wrigley; Starburst Summer Fun Fruits in kiwi-banana, lemon-limeade, cherry splash and watermelon; Skittles Fizzl'd Fruits; and Stride Shift from Cadbury North America, a flavor-changing gum that starts off tasting like citrus or melon and shifts into mint.
Dark and Dreamy: Dark chocolate has been increasing in popularity for years. This year look for Kit Kat Dark from Hershey, Wolfgang Eves from the Wolfgang Candy Co., NECCO's new Clark Bar Dark, Cote d'Or Pistache Noir dark chocolate bar and Dark Chocolate Cherry Raisinets.
The National Confectioners Association, Washington, D.C., fosters industry growth by advancing the interests of the confectionery industry and its customers.
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