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Candy has long been a staple at c-store checkouts, but the category is shifting quickly, and keeping up with the changes is no easy task.

While overall candy sales are up 6.2% across all retailers over the past year, they declined 0.2% in c-stores over the 52 weeks ending Sept. 6, per Circana. Nonchocolate candy sales declined 0.7% in convenience retail, while chocolate sales were essentially flat.

However, c-stores can up their candy game by taking on innovative new products that fit into fast-growing trends. Here, we’ll look at three: the rise of gummies, particularly with sour flavors; candies and chocolates that play with a mixture of textures; and the boom in Swedish candies.

Gummy innovations hike sales

“Gummy continues to be a growth driver, outpacing the category,” said Dan Sadler, vice president for the confection vertical at Circana.

The gummy category is “one of the most dynamic and fastest-growing subcategories in candy,” added Ginny Grant, Haribo’s director of sales for c-stores, with Gen Z and millennials driving experimentation and growth.

Many companies are capitalizing on this trend. 

• Haribo, which is famous for its gummies, recently debuted Balla Bites and Balla Bites Sour. The rounded, bite-sized piece features a chewy outer layer and a soft center, with three fruit flavors in every piece, Grant said.
• Mars Snacking is launching Skittles Gummy Crystals, which combine gummies with a coating of tangy, crunchy candy crystals, on Nov. 2. The candy will come in two varieties — original, which has strawberry, lemon, grape, orange and green apple flavors; and Tropical Splash, with fruit punch, pink lemonade, mango melon, pineapple and watermelon flavors.
• Wholesaler Nassau Candy is expanding its Clever Candy brand with Fruit Jelly Jewels, individually wrapped fruit-flavored candies with soft jelly centers and crunchy sugar coatings. They come in orange, lemon, grapefruit, lime, cherry and blueberry flavors.

 Candy makers play with textures

Experiential candy, including those that marry different textures, is among the hottest trends in confectionery, Sadler said.

“Consumers want unique flavors with unexpected textures, fueled in part by a social-first culture that celebrates a sense of surprise and discovery,” said Nik Culver, category management director for c-store at The Hershey Co. “We see that especially with younger consumers, who are drawn to products that offer more differentiated eating experiences.”

There is a texture boom in confectionery, Grant confirmed. “People love the chew, the bounce, and the mix of soft, firm, and layered gummies,” she said.

Hot products to watch feature texture mashups across both chocolate and nonchocolate candies.

• Stuffed Puffs, which largely makes stuffed marshmallows, has introduced a line of Gummy Fuzions in five flavors. The bite-sized candies have a sour coating on the outside, a soft gummy candy inside, and a sour center. Varieties include sour watermelon, sour berry, fruity punch, mixed berry and chili mango.

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  Reese’s Pieces with Chocolate Cookie, which released earlier this year, brings together creamy peanut butter, a crispy chocolate cookie center and the brand's signature candy shell. The combination creates “a bold, poppable snack with layers of flavor and texture in every bite,” Culver said.
• Toblerone Diamond Truffles with Biscoff, which launched last month, is a new mashup of familiar flavors via Mondelēz International and Lotus Bakeries. The diamond-shaped truffles feature Toblerone milk chocolate shells filled with Biscoff spread and finished with crunchy honey-almond nougat pieces. 

Swedish candy growth booming

Swedish candy is booming in the U.S. thanks to “additive-free ingredients, unique dual-flavor combinations, and distinctive pillowy textures that stand apart from traditional candies,” Sadler said.

In just one year the Bubs brand has amassed over $60 million in sales, Sadler said, thanks to strong appeal among Gen Alpha, Gen Z, Millennials and Gen X consumers. 

• Bubs candies are sold in big-box and grocery stores, and candy shop It’s Sugar sells its own mix of Swedish candies, showing how broadly the trend has grown.
• BonBon - A Swedish Candy Co. is expanding its multiple varieties, including sour blackberry fish, chocolate mix, sour and sweet gluten-free mix and salty licorice twists, to more than 1,900 Target stores.