Candy Surges with Sales, Trips, Household Penetration Up vs. 2020 and 2019
CHICAGO, October 20, 2021 — Numerator, a data and tech company serving the market research space, has launched a Candy Tracker to monitor omnichannel sales trends, promotional activity, and advertising for both seasonal and non-seasonal candy. Overall, the candy category is up vs. both 2020 and 2019 (pre-pandemic).
Leading snacking provider The Hershey Company has experienced comparable lifts among its brand portfolio.
“After a full year of celebrating seasons through the pandemic, people have expanded their ways of celebrating, adding more at-home activities while resuming cherished community and social traditions. For Halloween we have seen a continued increase in many early and mid-season activities like decorating, baking and movie nights and our insights signal more will reengage this year in away-from-home events like parades, parties and trick-or-treating,” said Phil Stanley, Global Chief Sales Officer for The Hershey Company.
Seasonal Candy: The pre-Halloween candy buying period is capturing more consumers than ever this year:
- Sales of seasonal candy are up 29% to-date in the second half of 2021 vs. year-ago, and up 43% vs. two years ago.
- Growth is primarily driven by an increase in household penetration in the category (+4.5 points vs. 2020, +5.9 points vs. 2019), though household buying rates are also elevated compared to previous years.
- Overall trips made for seasonal candy are up as well (+19% vs. year-ago, +30% vs. two years ago).
Non-Seasonal Candy: Everyday candy continues to be a regular purchase for the majority of consumers:
- Sales of non-seasonal candy (which make up the bulk of overall candy sales through the year) are up 19% vs. 2020 and up 24% vs. 2019.
- Growth is driven by higher buy rates per household (+$7.54 vs. 2020, +$9.59 vs. 2019), and a small increase in overall household penetration.
- In 2020, non-seasonal candy saw a pronounced boost the week of Halloween, as consumers supplemented traditional Halloween candy purchase with their everyday favorites.
- Trips for non-seasonal candy are also up (+12% vs. year-ago, +13% vs. two years ago)
Candy Promotions & Advertising:
- Total promoted products within the Seasonal Candy category are up 47% July through September vs. 2020, and up 36% vs. 2019. Increases were most significant early in the season, with promoted products up more than 200% in July vs. year-ago.
- Promotions for Non-seasonal/Everyday Candy are also elevated to a lesser degree (+33% vs. 2020, +21% vs. 2019).
- Consumers are buying more candy despite decreased advertising. Candy related ad spend is down significantly (-29% vs. 2020, -34% vs. 2019), and candy related ad occurrences are down slightly (-5% vs. 2020, -8% vs. 2019).
About Numerator
Numerator is a data and tech company bringing speed and scale to market research. Headquartered in Chicago, IL, Numerator has more than 2,400 employees worldwide. The company blends proprietary data with advanced technology to create unique insights for the market research industry that has been slow to change. The majority of Fortune 100 companies are Numerator clients.
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