Category Advice: Summer Confectionery

Seasonality continually presents some great opportunities for confectionery retailers and the ever growing summer season is certainly one of those times. You might not have considered the summer as a season to prepare for before and so we shall walk you through some of the key points so that you can take a considered approach to planning your range of summer confectionery.

 

Have I got the right audience?

Granted, the summer confectionery season is of greater importance to some retailers than others. If your store is located on the sea front or close to a holiday park or visitor attraction, you might just have the edge on other retailers.

But consider also the impact of warmer weather and the holiday season in general. We know that sugar confectionery generally trends upwards as the sun comes out and chocolate sales might ease a little. We also know that come July, school children will be in a different routine as they start their long summer holiday. This can also result in many more family day trips. All of the aforementioned presents some great reasons to purchase summer confectionery!

Stores at fuel stations or on key traffic routes would be perfect locations for families to purchase some fun sweets to enjoy during their journey, perhaps with some soft drinks too? If there is a summer event taking place close to your shop, consider all of that extra traffic and what they might pop in to buy.

The sun helps to bring out smiles and the fun side of everyone and this can translate into the types of confectionery that they might wish to buy. A massive seller across the summer for example is our Mallow Sandwich!

A final consideration is that wherever you are located, it’s likely that you’ll have some bored teenagers in close proximity during the summer holidays, looking to buy some fun sweets to liven up their days. Pocket money purchases can be powerful.

So we hope to have assured you that a great many stores have a clear opportunity to sell summer confectionery over the warmer months and boost their sales of sweets.

 

How do I know what they will buy?

Like all categories of confectionery, you’ll want to build up your range with confidence that it will sell. Consideration of who your customer actually is and what they might wish to buy will help this, as will talking to us and learning what the best sellers are during the summer months, year after year. We’ve helped so many businesses to make the most of summer confectionery.

Initially trialling new ideas in small quantities can also help. Using Hancocks as your supplier, you can easily come back for more – no need to hold huge stock.

 

How to boost your summer pick and mix sales

You probably already know that bulk pick and mix sweets are a great, high margin opportunity. None-so-more than during the summer time. We encourage our customers to introduce a range of summer themed sweets to liven things up a little and we can offer you some proven sellers such as: Beach Mix, Dolphins, Ice Cream Cones, Butterflies and Sea Horses.

You can sell summer themed pick and mix from your usual display or you might choose to pack up single or mixed varieties into smaller bags or containers – we can help you there too, either by supplying the containers or by using our bespoke packing service. Such products can make ideal holiday souvenirs or summer token gifts, whilst a simple filled tub is perfect to share on a car journey. Consider how your key customers might use such products and present them accordingly at the right price point.

 

Novelty and fun are key considerations

Sunny summer days are supposed to be fun, helping to lift our spirits and enjoy life. We certainly experience a “fun” trend in confectionery sales across the summer and certain products can really tap in to this opportunity.

For younger children, our attractively decorated Garden Critter Pops are a certain success. Easy to merchandise, we’ve sold them for many years and they always come into their own during the summer. We also stock a selection of lively pops for the season; ideal for holiday purchases or pocket money treats.

Tubs of Candy Floss and Popcorn are incredibly popular during the summer. The flavours go hand in hand with sunshine and tubs make them very easy to transport and share.

Jelly Beans are always a top choice and our Jelly Bean filled swords and windmills continue to be huge summer sellers. Affordable, tasty and with play value, they tick all the boxes for fun loving shoppers.

Our Mallow Sandwich is a sell-out every year! Irresistible in its lookalike packaging, it is perfect for a bit of fun. Coupled with this is a Jelly Jungle Pizza and a Giant Gummy Bear. This list goes on…

 

Pair it all with chilled soft drinks

You might not sell soft drinks usually but the summer is the key season and it can really pay dividends to use a small chiller and display a good range of chilled soft drinks in your store. Snack purchases tend to be accompanied by a drink; most definitely on a hot day. It’s an impulse purchase and they’ll want to drink it straight away so the chilled option is always best.

To accompany our massive range of confectionery, you’ll find an equally impressive selection of competitively priced wholesale soft drinks to buy with just this opportunity in mind. Why take £1 from a customer when you could take £2?

 

What to do next

Somewhat predictably, we’d have to recommend that you come and see us if you are local to one of our cash & carries. We can walk you through the opportunities and discuss your specific requirements for summer confectionery in more detail. We’ve been helping businesses like yours since 1962. Failing that, we continue to add to our Summer Sweets category online to give you a number of ideas. We’re also at the end of a phone or email too if you wish.

Whatever your next move, we do hope that we have inspired you to think more carefully about the opportunity for summer confectionery.