Convenience stores continue to be a dominant retail outlet for confections, and the outlook for 2008 is just as strong. In terms of category share, chocolate candy accounted for 56% of category sales, followed by non-chocolate (33%) and gum (11%). For example, studies show that marketing candy items at the cooler, the front counter or the coffee area doesn’t cannibalize sales, but augments them. Confections, unlike most other in-store categories, are heavily geared for seasonal sales spikes with demand peeking around the major "candy holidays," Valentine’s Day, Easter, Halloween and Christmas. Major sales increases were evident during each of these holidays in 2007, the report said, with the biggest jump (6. NCA projects sales gains for all holidays in 2008 with the exception of Easter, for which it’s forecasting a nearly $80 million decline. More Halloween News

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