Easter has established itself as one of the biggest retail events of the year and shows no signs of slowing down; it gives wholesalers a sales boost, especially when it comes to confectionery.
Wholesalers are encouraged to start planning their Easter confectionery display as early as possible to provide retailers with a huge offering, set trends and enable them to start thinking about the occasion early.
December and January tend to be the best times for planning Easter confectionery lines as Christmas and Veganuary lines are easing off by then, which helps wholesalers’ customers focus on the next big occasion and plan early.
With sugar confectionery outperforming chocolate in the market, growing +10.5% vs +4.4% (Circana), it’s no surprise that sweets are seen as an irreplaceable treat during that time. Sugar confectionery is seen as a lighter, more affordable and handier treat that comes in small pack sizes.
“We advise wholesalers to start stocking up on our Sweet Shop Favourites lines, which include a Tub, Carton and Pouch, all of which are ideal Easter gifts and for sharing with friends and family during Easter events,” comments Clare Newton, Trade Marketing Manager at Swizzels.
Along with its full Squashies and Variety Bag ranges, Swizzels’ Sweet Shop Favourite Tubs, Cartons and Pouches are some of the best sellers during the Easter period, as they are ideal for gifting or sharing during events.
Swizzels continues to grow and remains one of the nation’s favourite sugar confectionery brands, especially during the Easter period.
Swizzels continues to grow at a steady pace, with an impressive +15.2% growth over the last year (Circana). Sugar confectionery category has become a staple in consumers lives and further instils how important it is for wholesalers to stock a complete range of sweet treats.
“We provide bright, eye-catching displays throughout depots, teamed with frequent competitions, specifically targeted towards the needs of wholesalers,” adds Newton. “We also support wholesalers with a full suite of digital POS for each promotion, alongside bespoke artwork and frequent competitions.”
Susan Nash, Trade Communications Manager at Mondelez International, comments: “Off the back of its most successful Easter ever in 2023 (Nielsen), Mondelez International is set to drive further excitement through the 2024 season with the return of the annual Find the Winning Egg campaign, returning for a third season – and this year it is bigger than ever.”
Shoppers will once more be encouraged to keep an eye out for an extra special half-milk chocolate, half-white chocolate Cadbury Creme Egg. If a lucky shopper unwraps a winning egg, they will be rewarded with one of the hundreds of cash prizes on offer, including the chance to nab the top prize of £10,000. In 2024 there will be more winning eggs than ever before.
Once again, retailers that sell a winning egg could win the top-prize of £1,000 for themselves and their store. In addition to this, there are also a number of other cash prizes up for grabs, ranging from £25 – £500, as well as Amazon vouchers.
The competition will put consumers and retailers across the nation on the ultimate Easter egg hunt, sparking a nationwide quest to ‘Find the Winning Egg.’ This will be supported with social, digital, and outdoor activations, letting everyone know that the goo is back. There will also be a suite of POS materials to be used in-store, driving greater public awareness of the campaign.
Last year Cadbury White Creme Egg – made up 25% (Nielsen) of all filled singles. It was the number one new product in the market at Easter (Nielsen) and resulted in an incredible 127 Cadbury Creme Eggs being purchased every minute on average (Nielsen) across the brand.
Cadbury Mini Eggs grew by 19% (Nielsen) in 2023. Cadbury Mini Eggs are the number one Easter brand (Nielsen) and the highest penetration (Nielsen) of any Easter brand. The handy bag is an Easter staple, delivering on taste, quality and familiarity for shoppers. While evidently an ideal seasonal treat, shoppers are whipping up delicious baked goods, creating memories with loved ones. As well as this and following the success and launch of the Cadbury Mini Eggs Bar, a 360g gifting format joins the portfolio, available nationwide for the first time. Tablets are the heartland for Cadbury, and the addition to the portfolio is sure to be a hit in store – ideal for snacking, sharing and gifting.
“Mondelez International is proud to be the number one (Nielsen) supplier at Easter time, bringing wholesalers and retailers exciting campaigns, new launches and iconic shopper favourites too,” adds Nash. Cybi Capaldi, Senior Brand Manager, Mars Wrigley, comments: “Whilst Maltesers has traditionally appealed to a broad family audience, Maltesers truffles recruits a younger shopper to the confectionary aisle, laying the foundations for repeat brand purchases year on year and broadening the sales opportunity for retailers.”
Advent calendars is a growing category, with the growth rate increasing by 6% between 2020 and 2022. The highest price point range is growing the most at 13%.
In fact, Advent calendars such as Galaxy and Maltesers truffles are up 16% compared to last year.
“The gifting occasion is key to the season and accounts for 75% of Christmas sales and this is worth £520 million, so it is imperative that brands and retailers seize the opportunity to inspire shoppers’ purchase behaviours. Christmas is a time for family and friends, for gifting and sharing and enjoying those special moments together,” adds Capaldi.
“Confectionery is perfectly placed to be integral to all of these occasions and shoppers’ rituals and consumption traditions hold strong at this time of year. This presents retailers with a unique opportunity to drive in-store and online spend and to keep the category thriving this Christmas.”
Kathryn Hague, Head of Marketing at Hancocks, comments: “We are really excited about our Easter range for 2024 which includes exciting novelty products as well as some of the customers’ favourites from previous years.
“At Hancocks we supply an unrivalled selection of pick and mix favourites including Kingsway Bunnies, Happy Flowers, Fried Eggs, Rabbit Heads and Bubs Egg Skulls, retailing for £1.29 per 100g.”
The pick and mix selection also contains a variety of chocolate eggs, including Kingsway New Mixture Mini Eggs, Glisten Chocolate Mini Eggs, Milk Chocolate Cereal & Creme Filled Eggs, Compound Foiled Eggs and Solid Milk Chocolate Mini Eggs RRP £1.29 per 100g.
The range of mini eggs is super popular among customers of all ages during Easter.
“Gifting should be an important part of the Easter range, and wholesalers can prepare for this by stocking plenty of seasonal gift options,” adds Hague.
A popular gifting option is the Bonds Pick n Mix Set RRP £3.50, filled with customer favourites including Teeth & Lips, Mini Jelly Babies, Watermelon Slices and Pink and Blue Bottles.
The award-winning Bonds Pun Boxes RRP £2.00 are also great for gifting, each packaged in fun eye-catching packaging and filled to the brim with tasty treats.
Available this year are You’re One In A Melon/You’re Eggstra Special, Froggin’ Awesome/Flockin Fab, Hearts and Kisses/I Love You More Than Pizza.
Best-sellers from Hancocks’ self-treat range include the Bonds Candy Cups, pre-packaged cups filled to the brim with pick and mix favourites including Cherries & Berries, Candy Bliss, Rainforest Mix, Vegan Mix and So Sour Mix.
From the impulse buy products, customers’ favourites include the Crazy Candy Factory Dancing Duck and Cupcake Dip N Lick, as well as Candy Realms Jelly Bean Carrot Bags and Bunny Tubes.
Hancocks is also offering lots of branded Easter lines including large Easter eggs and themed exclusives.
The popular Candy Realms brand is known for its great selection of impulse lines and they’re also stocking some novelty products for Easter.
The Lucy Lamb Mallow Lollies 35g RRP £1.50 are vanilla-flavoured marshmallow lollipops, shaped like cute little lambs.
Other novelty products include the Spring Mallow Pops, Jelly Pops and Mallow Pop Skewers which all come in fun Easter-themed shapes and have retail prices starting from £0.50.
Individually wrapped on sticks, the Candy Realms lollies are great for the Spring and Easter season. They all come in handy display boxes for easy merchandising.
With the increase in demand for plant-based treats, we’ve also expanded our range of vegan Easter chocolates.
The Nomo brand is the UK’s leading provider of dairy, gluten, nut and egg free chocolate and their Easter range ensures that people with dietary preferences don’t have to miss out on Easter treats.
Their Easter range includes Mini Cookie Dough Bunnies, Chocolate eggs in caramel, cookie dough and creamy choc flavours, Little Nomsters Egg with Lolly and Foiled Hollow Bunnies.
“The most important thing that wholesalers can do ahead of Easter is to plan and stock early. It’s important to make sure you have all of your orders placed in time to be able to cater to the demand,” suggests Hague.
“Ensuring that products are displayed and packaged well is a great way to maximise sales and appeal to customers. Customers can feel overwhelmed by the volume of seasonal products around during Easter, so it’s best to focus on clear and attractive POS. This way you can be sure that your products will turn the heads of customers and translate into sales.
“Having open communication with retailers is also a very important way for wholesalers to amplify sales, as we rely on our retailers to place repeat orders.”
Emma Perrett, Marketing Controller at Kinnerton Confectionery, comments: “Wholesalers should start planning their Easter confectionery displays as early as possible and should consider reaching out to brands such as NOMO to find out what new products are planned.
“A substantial amount of Easter confectionery is eaten prior to Easter itself – so getting timings right and promoting products early on is crucial. Beginning with impulse buys to ease into the season, wholesalers can get consumers excited about Easter confectionery with smaller buys like the NOMO Cookie Dough Bunny.
“Wholesalers can then continue to build excitement with larger gifting products such as NOMO Caramel Egg and Bar or NOMO Creamy Choc Egg and Mini Bars whilst still promoting impulse purchases and smaller snacks shoppers are likely to buy for themselves to enjoy.”
Historically, many people with dietary restrictions have had to miss out on Easter treats due to allergies and intolerances. NOMO has started a trend of more people being able to enjoy Easter treats who would have had to miss out before.
“Wholesalers should be aware that more and more consumers are coming to expect inclusive options at Easter and beyond,” adds Perrett.
“We are seeing increased demand for vegan and free from products – consumers are seeking alternatives to traditional confectionery not just because of dietary restrictions, but for planet-consciousness too. We have seen substantial growth of the ‘flexitarian’ market, referring to consumers who don’t necessarily follow a strict vegan or vegetarian diet, rather opting for making changes in their diet where possible. This group grew by 27% last year (YouGov Panel 2022), and we see consistently high enthusiasm for vegan and free from chocolates in the mainstream market. Stocking a range of products beyond the traditional offerings ensures that consumers have more choices – especially important as enthusiasm for vegan and free from products remains high.”
NOMO had the top four best-selling free from Easter products in 2023, and six products ranked within the top eight best-selling Easter free from chocolates. The strongest performer was the NOMO Cookie Dough Bunny (30g), achieving 83.0% growth in value sales and 81.8% unit sales, with total sales amounting to £526,658 (Nielsen IQ).
“NOMO believes that vegan and free from chocolates should never compromise on taste. Our products are all plant based and free from chocolates but created to be as good as or better than mainstream products. We emphasise developing recipes for our products which appeal to a mainstream market – not only those who follow vegan or free from diets,” says Perrett.
“Wholesalers can maximise sales by ensuring that they offer a range of products catering to diverse tastes and dietary requirements, featuring the leading brands in key categories.”
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