For food retailers looking to drive maximum sales and profits in candy during the fall and winter holidays, two words should be at the forefront of buying decisions: Baby Shark.
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| If all else fails, remember to order more Baby Shark candy. |
Well, maybe eight words: Baby Shark, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo.
Those are the addictive, dopamine-stimulating lyrics to the viral hit song “Baby Shark,” which took the internet by storm in 2016, yet is still capturing the attention of American families, especially in the candy category.
During an interview at the Sweets and Snacks Expo in Indianapolis in June, Clark Taylor, SVP sales and marketing of Louisville, Ky.-based CandyRific, told Progressive Grocer that his company can’t make enough Baby Shark novelties and candy products.
“Some of our customers are selling 10,000 of these a week in their stores,” noted Clark, who said that his Baby Shark spinning-fan candy toys come in a variety of flavors, styles and better-for-you options for the younger consumer who’s reading labels. “Some of the dispensers have organic Jelly Belly jelly beans, because we know this younger parent, consumer, is looking for Baby Shark candy, but better-for-you Baby Shark candy.”
Baby Shark remains the most watched YouTube video ever, with more than 9 billion views. The animated television series, Baby Shark's Big Show! has also been a hit, and now there’s an original animated film coming from Nickelodeon and set for release possibly in 2023.
The Baby Shark trend is just one reason that Halloween, Christmas and the spring holidays may bring food retailers sweeter candy sales than ever. After more than a year of lockdowns and restrictions, the American consumer is ready to celebrate, and candy is poised to be a major part of what are predicted to be supersized gatherings. In addition, the U.S. economy has reopened, shoppers still have stimulus money and savings from the pandemic to spend, and store traffic has rebounded, restoring some unplanned purchasing opportunities.
As for spring holiday opportunities, suppliers at the Sweets and Snacks Expo exhibited unicorns and Marvel superheroes-adorned heart-shaped boxes of chocolate for Valentine’s Day and Easter baskets. But CandyRific’s Clark predicted that Baby Shark will likely still rule into 2022, if he can get enough computer chips to manufacture enough product.
“We are 150 days out on orders, due to shipping delays and shortages — those are our biggest challenges,” he said.
You can read Progressive Grocer full article, "Preparing the Candy Aisle for Hallowthanksmas", on progressivegrocer.com!
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