New Product Releases Drive Trends
For 2009/2010, NCA predicts the leading product trends including Classic Remix, Super Fruits and Exotic Origins, Red Carpet Chocolate, Sweet Sophistication, Flavor Flash Back, Super Sour and Flavor-full, and Holiday Hot Spot:
-- Classic Remix - Tried and true confectionery favorites are taking on
new tastes and flavor twists. MARS Snackfood US takes its traditional
"melt in your mouth, not in your hands" M&M'S(R) Brand Chocolate
Candies and goes tropical with limited edition Coconut M&M'S(R) Brand
Chocolate Candies. Get a double flavor punch with Wrigley's
SKITTLES(R) CRAZY CORES(TM), which feature two mouth-watering
SKITTLES(R) flavors in every piece. Hershey(R) goes to the dark side
with new Reese's(R) Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups(R). And,
Hershey(R)'s KISSES(R) Brand Chocolates now come with a velvety
smooth, chocolate meltaway center in a new decadent offering,
Hershey(R)'s KISSES(R) MELTAWAY. Combining America's favorite
sugar-free chocolate candy with wholesome granola, Russell Stover(R)
Sugar Free Snack Bars are a delicious 100-calorie treat available in
Chocolate Delight Granola, Chewy Granola and Peanut Butter Granola.
-- Super Fruits and Exotic Origins - New confections and snacks cross
international lines and tantalize taste buds with super fruit essences
and exotic influences. Jelly Belly(R) introduces two new super fruit
flavors: Barbados Cherry, an emerging super fruit high in Vitamin C,
and Acai (ah-sigh-ee) Berry, an exotic Amazon rainforest fruit, in
their new Superfruit Mix, which also includes other super fruits of
pomegranate, blueberry and cranberry flavors. The new Chili Mango
Jelly Belly(R) jelly beans offer an exotic fusion of heat and sweet. A
natural source of fruit and antioxidants and only 100 calories per
pack, Nestle(R) Cranberry Raisinets(TM) combines all natural dried
cranberries with a smooth milk chocolate coating. YummyEarth(R)
Organic Candy Drops(TM) Anti-OxiFruits(TM) presents an organically
delicious mix of super fruit flavors including Pomegranate Pucker(TM)
and TooBerry Blueberry(TM). Keep your breath fresher, longer with new
island inspired Tic Tac(R) Melon Mango mixed-flavor package from
Ferrero USA, Inc. And Snack Better(R) with Sahale Snacks Glazed Nuts
Cashews with Pomegranate + Vanilla, the perfect combination of whole
roasted cashews with pomegranate and apple, and balanced with pure
vanilla bean. Also new, try Sahale Snacks Glazed Nuts Almond PB&J with
Peanuts + Berries; and Almonds with Cranberries, Honey + Sea Salt.
-- Red Carpet Chocolate - An affordable indulgence, chocolate pleases
palates and wallets. Now more than ever, chocolate is proving every
day can be gourmet with premium products that won't break the bank.
Ghirardelli(R) introduces the LUXE MILK(TM) collection of premium
chocolates for the ultimate milk chocolate experience. The collection
includes LUXE MILK(TM) Milk premium chocolate; LUXE MILK(TM) Hazelnut
with all-natural deep-roasted hazelnuts; LUXE MILK(TM) Almond with
crisp toasted almonds; LUXE MILK(TM) Crisp with toasted crisped rice;
and LUXE MILK(TM) Duet, which combines a layer of light, sweet milk
chocolate with a layer of bittersweet dark chocolate. In addition,
MARS Snackfood US welcomes a harmonious pairing of soft and creamy
peanut butter surrounded by silky smooth DOVE(R) Chocolate in DOVE(R)
Silky Smooth Milk Chocolate with Peanut Butter PROMISES(R). These
individually wrapped chocolates include eloquent "promise" captions
inside each wrapper. A delicate truffle, Landrin Waferatto Gold
features an exquisite chocolaty hazelnut filling wrapped in a smooth
cream, wafer coating and finished with the finest crushed hazelnuts.
-- Sweet Sophistication - Maturing to meet consumer demand for
sophisticated sweets, novel treats provide full sensory experiences
and unusual flavor pairings to surprise and delight taste buds. DAS(R)
Lolli lollipops challenge senses with bold new flavor pairings:
Naughty Ginger is a unique ginger and lemon flavored pop, Caramelini
Me Happy is a salty caramel lollipop, Fab-O-Pom blends orange and
pomegranate, and Man Bait is a unique maple bacon flavored lollipop
that's sure to appeal to his taste buds. Chuao Chocolatier's new
Chinita Nibs ChocoPod delivers an unusual, unexpected yet delicious
flavor filling of caramelized cocoa nibs and nutmeg inside a dark
chocolate shell. And new from Osmanium Candy Company, Crackheads2(R)
Gourmet Chocolate Coffee Caffeine dark chocolate coated coffee beans
are sure to awaken your senses.
-- Flavor Flash Back - Finding comfort in "sweet memories," consumers are
returning to traditional tastes and packaging reminiscent of their
childhood and happy times. This year, old is new again as candy
company Just Born, Inc. introduces Goldenberg's(R) Original PEANUT
CHEWS(R), Mike And Ike(R) and Hot Tamales(R) in vintage package
designs. If you're a sucker for lollipops, don't miss Tootsie(R)
Roll's classic Apple Orchard Caramel Apple Pop(TM) - the traditional
delicious apple candy pop with smooth caramel coating - now available
in Golden Delicious and classic green apple, caramel apple flavors.
Welcoming a new member to the family, Hershey(R)'s Good 'N Plenty(R)
and Good 'N Fruity(R) chewy fruit candy line introduces a new bold
cinnamon flavor - Good 'N Fiery(TM).
-- Super Sour and Flavor-full - Innovative super sour flavors and tangy
fillings are daring consumers to pucker up. For a long-lasting shock
that's Sour then Sweet(R), Cadbury's Sour Patch Chillerz(TM) is a soft
and chewy Sour Patch candy creation that leaves a tingling surge of
cool at the end. And Cadbury's new Trident Layers(TM) is a uniquely
formulated chewing gum with a special middle flavor layer you can see.
Trident Layers(TM) delivers an intriguing combination of two juicy
fruit flavors that blend together for one deliciously long-lasting
flavor experience, available in Strawberry+Citrus and Apple+Pineapple.
Wonka's(R) PUCKEROOMS Sour Gummy Candy is the chewiest new treat from
Nestle(R), made with natural ingredients and 25 percent real fruit
juice. The mushroom-shaped sour gummi candy delivers a tart twist with
a curious combination of squishy and sour that dazzles your mouth.
Candy Dynamics' TOXIC WASTE(R) Hi-Voltage(TM) Bubble Gum amps up the
volume with three extra long cables of gum, each with a shockingly
sour core and in hazardously sour flavors including Amp'd Apple,
Surgin' Strawberry and Blackout Blue Razz. Get the sour tickle with
the American Licorice Company's Chewy Extinguisher(R) Sour Fruit Candy
and Chewy Extinguisher(R) Sour Citrus Candy. Tackle three super sour
layers of fantastic flavor before reaching the Sweet Mixed Berry
Extinguisher inside.
-- Holiday Hot Spot - New seasonal treats give consumers reason to
celebrate. Just Born, Inc. presents holiday Marshmallow Reindeer
Chocolate Mousse PEEPS(R) and spooky Marshmallow Cats Chocolate Mousse
PEEPS(R). Trick-or-treat with DOTS(R) Halloween Mix, which includes
colorful Candy Corn DOTS(R), Blood Orange flavored Bat DOTS(R) and
haunting Ghost DOTS(R) (Tootsie(R) Roll Industries). For Valentine's
Day, try Necco's new Sweethearts(R) Conversation Hearts Forbidden
Fruits featuring "Twilight" movie-themed conversation hearts with
spellbinding phrases like "Live 4 Ever" and "Bite Me."
Industry Reports on 2008 Product Announcements and Sales*
In 2008, thousands of new confectionery and snack products debuted to meet consumer demand:
-- 3,345 New confectionery products debuted:
-- Chocolate: 1,873
-- Non-chocolate: 1,291
-- Gum: 181
-- 3,121 new snack, cookie and cracker products debuted:
-- Cookies: 777
-- Crackers: 228
-- Potato chips: 434
-- Popcorn: 127
-- Nuts and seeds: 307
-- Cereal bars: 430
-- Other snacks (pretzels, puffed snacks, fruit snacks, meat snacks,
etc.): 818
*Datamonitor's Product Launch Analytics online database of new products SKUs 2008
Industry Posts Gains; Chocolate and Gum Lead Sales*
The confectionery industry posted a 3.7 percent gain for the 52-week period ending April 19, 2009. Candy, chocolate and gum continued to lead the snack category in sales and ranked third in food sales overall. The following key categories experienced growth in 2008:
-- Chocolate, America's favorite flavor, remained popular in 2008:
-- Everyday gourmet (premium) chocolate sales rose 28 percent in
2008. This marks the fourth year of double-digit growth for the
category.
-- Dark chocolate sales increased 12 percent.
-- Sugar-free gum led industry growth with a 10 percent sales increase
for the last 52 weeks.
-- Licorice sales grew seven percent over the last 52-week period.
-- Gummies and chewy (non-chocolate) candy grew 10.7 percent in the last
52 weeks.
*Based on IRI and NCA data.
About the National Confectioners Association (NCA) - Founded in 1884 in Chicago by representatives of 69 confectionery manufacturing firms, the National Confectioners Association is one of the oldest, most respected trade associations in the world. Today NCA has 700 members and is the major association representing the entire confectionery industry, offering education and leadership in manufacturing, technical research, public relations, retailing practices, government relations and statistical analyses. NCA fosters industry growth by advancing and promoting the interests of the confectionery industry and its consumers.
