New Sweet Spot
Why Sour is Sweet for Sales
is Candy’s
SOUR
SOUR
SOUR
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Tangy Tastebuds Are Coming in Strong
48%
of candy shoppers are in C-stores
once a week
2
of all inside C-store sales come from
candy and snacks
3
11.8%
$8.5
Candy draws shoppers into C-stores, with channel sales up
11.9% to
billion
1
I
CANDY
Taste buds are evolving,
with consumers heading to
C-stores for the tangy flavors
they seek.
s
o
u
r
Dollar sales of sour candies grew 11% to $1.8 billion from 2022 to 2023, and the flavor is taking a big bite of share at 18.1%.
over sweet
of consumers prefer bold/sour flavors over sweet.
4
57%
5
of all sour non-chocolate is sold in the convenience channel
44%
6
57%
57%
Zesty Treats
Palette-pleasing bold flavors bring customers back for more, attract a wide range of ages and build incremental sales.
High Repeats
64%
Sour generates a
repeat purchase rate
7
83%
of sour buyers are
NOT buying original fruit-flavored bars,
and that means incremental sales.
8
The sour segment over-indexes with children, Gen Z, Millennials and Gen X
9
Airheads Sour Bars
Get ready for a burst of sour flavor as Airheads Sour Bars make their grand entrance onto store shelves this fall. The sensory experience of these tangy, sweet treats is sure to captivate candy enthusiasts and keep customers coming back for more.
Confectionary powerhouse Perfetti Van Melle USA answers the growing demand for tangy confections. Introducing Airheads Sour Bars, a new spin on its top-selling classic Airheads bars.
Airheads Sour Bars build upon the loyalty Perfetti Van Melle has established with Airheads. The new sour bars deliver the perfect balance of sweet and sour with a long-lasting tart flavor.
burst of sour flavor
perfect
balance
Airheads Sour Bars are available in:
All three flavors come in full-size and mini bars in a variety of pack types suited for C-stores, from check lane to pegs.
Airheads Sour Bars offer the same quality and iconic candy fun the brand has been known for since 1986 in a tangy new flavor that shoppers crave.
Gear up for the sales kick from Airheads Sour Bars.
Sources:
1. National Confectioners Association
2. Convenience Store News/NACS
3. Convenience Store News/NACS
4. Source: IRI and Panel, MULOC and MULO, Sour Candy, 52 Weeks Ending 3/31/24; https://virtuemarketresearch.com/report/sour-candy-market
5. IRI, MULOC, Sour Candy, Ending 2023 FY
6. Circana latest 52-weeks ended 5/5/2024
7. Source: IRI and Panel, MULOC and MULO, Sour Candy, 52 Weeks Ending 3/31/24; https://virtuemarketresearch.com/report/sour-candy-market
8. Source: IRI and Panel, MULOC and MULO, Sour Candy, 52 Weeks Ending 3/31/24; https://virtuemarketresearch.com/report/sour-candy-market
9. Source: IRI and Panel, MULOC and MULO, Sour Candy, 52 Weeks Ending 3/31/24; https://virtuemarketresearch.com/report/sour-candy-market
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