• Consumers frequently tell researchers that confectionery is one of the main reasons they visit c-stores
• But confectionery is also one of the most impulsive of all the product categories. Shoppers make purchases that weren’t planned
• Confectionery also provides an antidote to the recession for many consumers. Chocolate and other sweets are the proverbial affordable pleasures
• Sales of sharing sizes of sweets are soaring and premium confectionery can be the ultimate emergency gift
SWEETS for my sweet and sweets for myself. It seems as if the tough times have been good for confectionery. A combination of what the marketers call “self-eat treats” – little indulgencies that folks use to get through the day – and sharing sizes that are great for the big night in have helped the confectionery industry maintain growth in a very challenging economy.
It means that now, more than ever, confectionery is a mainstay of c-store turnover.
It’s also one of the most impulsive consumer purchases.
That’s good because it gives the retailer plenty of sales opportunities. On the other hand he or she will have to do some serious work to make the most of those opportunities.
How much space you give to confectionery will depend on your individual store’s size and layout.
But the confectionery companies recommend having a main confectionery area as well as secondary sites in other parts of the store.
The main fixture should be organised first by sub-categories and then within each of those divisions by manufacturer, reckons Mars Chocolate. Best-selling brands should be placed in the best positions and should be multi-faced. Secondary sites should be set up in high traffic areas and should feature the best-sellers.
And store owners should experiment with cross-category deals with big-night-in favourites such as soft drinks, crisps and snacks.
