New Sales Data: What it means for your store
As we enter Quarter 3 of 2022, we have the opportunity to look back and see how sales have evolved over the course of the past two years. While purchases in 2020 were greatly impacted by COVID-19, we've seen sales recover throughout 2021 and 2022. Today, we're sharing Convenience Store News's Candy & Snacks Deep Dive and how this data can assist convenience stores looking to maximize their snack and candy private label sales.
Candy and Salty Snacks dominate
Snacking is on the rise, with candy and salty snacks sales each increasing by about 10% in 2021 compared to 2020. Furthermore, the candy and salty snacks categories make up about 80% of total snack dollar sales, making these two segments the most crucial sets in your store. What does this mean for you and your store? It means that by investing your time, money, and energy into improving your candy and salty snacks set, you'll be getting the most bang for your buck in revenue. Let's take a closer look at each of these categories.
Bagged candy sales are even sweeter than chocolate bars
Within the candy category, bagged and repackaged peg candy (like gummies) accounts for the largest portion of revenue at 44% of the total category's sales - significantly higher than chocolate bars at 25%. Additionally, 2021 bagged candy saw a 15.3% increase from 2020, compared to chocolate bars which increased 8.2%.
How can your store capitalize on the popularity of bagged candies? By offering a diverse selection of bagged sweets including both classics and innovative new items. Furthermore, your bagged candy set is the perfect category to introduce your private label snacks brand to your customers. Statistics show that 91 percent of consumers agree that a good experience with store brand products makes them trust the store more. (You can read more about this in our article about what private label food can do for your store or contact a Lehi Valley representative to get started on your own private label products wholesale.)
Also of note, seasonal candies are up 13.1% from 2020. A rotating seasonal selection provides additional variety that will shake customers out of their day-to-day routine and entice them to try something new. Furthermore, seasonal products appeal to the good emotions associating holidays and events. Speaking of holidays, we're all familiar with the top four candy holidays - Valentine's Day, Easter, Halloween, and Christmas. But keep in mind that there are many more creative occasions that call for candy purchases, such as summer road trips, barbecues, graduations, Super Bowl, and more!
Opportunities in Salty Snacks
Potato chips continue to dominate the salty snacks category in terms of dollar share. That said, all segments of the salty snacks category saw increases from 8% to nearly 20%. (Looking at you, pretzels.) Customers may enter the store with potato chips on their mind, but they're leaving with more than just chips. Nuts and Seeds see the next highest portion of sales at 10.8% of the dollar share. Visit our nuts wholesale page to learn more about our available nut varieties.
Following close behind nuts and seeds are cheese puff snacks at 10.2% of dollar sales in convenience stores. A cheese-flavored corn puffs snack is a convenience store staple, making up 10.2% of the salty snacks category. Ensure that your store has a robust selection of each of these items located near your chips aisle and you'll see a rise in impulse purchases.
White Cheddar Puffs
White Cheddar Puffs with Jalapeño
Market Opening for Sweet Puffs Snacks
While you're stocking your shelves with white cheddar puffs, also consider adding an indulgent counterpart to your assortment. (After all, we know that unique and exciting flavors boost sales.) Sweet corn puff snacks fill an empty niche - being a product that satisfies a sweet craving, but unique in flavor and texture compared to traditional candy. Here at Lehi Valley, we sold over six million bags in 2021 of our sweet corn puff snacks alone.
Based on proprietary recipes, our Puff snacks are gluten free, baked not fried and Simply Free From 100+ Unworthy Ingredients! Featuring unique-to-category sweet flavors including: Butter Toffee, Sea Salted Caramel and Cinnamon Roll, they’re better for you and better tasting.
See Lehi Valley's varieties of puff snack.
