Holiday Candy that’s Licensed to Thrill

The autumn and winter holidays are a time of opportunity for licensed candy/novelty product providers like Louisville, Ky.-based CandyRific.

“These are the times of the year when families come together to create memories and to give each other gifts,” notes VP of Sales Clark Taylor. “CandyRific works to create items that fulfill both of these areas. The Christmas gifting season is one of our largest selling windows each year, followed by Easter.”

For this year’s season, CandyRific will be building on special memories … with the introduction of two ‘home décor’ items with our partners at M&M’s Brand Candies,” says Taylor. “We think these items will become decorating mainstays in people’s homes both this year and for many years to come.”

On the subject of the types of products that sell best during this period, Taylor says: “We know that consumers are specifically looking for holiday-themed offerings. This is why we promote our Santa Light-up fans and our handheld M&M’s Brand Light & Sound Christmas Tree. This being said, we also see that approximately 40 percent of our seasonal sales come from nonseasonal graphic items. Many retailers have realized that there is a consumer base that is looking for movie tie-in offerings that are not necessarily Christmas-related. We see this with our ‘Avengers’ license, ‘Star Wars’ license and ‘Despicable Me 3’ offerings.”

When it presents its items at retail, CandyRific’s “best merchandising vehicles are our product trays,” asserts Taylor. “We strive to use very colorful and informative graphics on our packaging to allow consumers to quickly determine the item and its attributes. We realize that their focus during this time of the year is very fragmented and they need to understand our offer quite quickly.”

In making merchandising recommendations for retailers, Taylor urges them “to create a ‘dedicated section’ where consumers can shop for their holiday needs. Consumers during the holiday are pushed for time, with all of the work/life commitments, so when they do have an opportunity to hit their local stores for some shopping, they want their special gifts and snacks convenient and easy to find.”

Read more about holiday candy and snack merchandising in the article published in the September 2017 issue of Progressive Grocer.