Candy & Snacks Grow with Less Gusto

Convenience store candy and snack sales improved in 2013, but sales growth in these categories seemed to lose some bite compared to 2012.

In the candy aisle, average sales per store totaled $43,567 last year. This represents an increase from the prior year, but less than half the percentage growth. On a per-store basis, candy sales in 2013 increased overall by 2.2 percent or $957, compared to the 4.5-percent increase or an additional $1,824 per store recorded in 2012.

Bagged/repacked peg candy saw the most sales growth, increasing 20 percent per store.

Another subcategory that saw significant growth was novelty/seasonal candy, which recorded an 8.6-percent increase in average sales per store.

Once again, gum sales failed to stick in 2013, dropping 3 percent for an average loss of $282 per store. While in 2012, gum was the only subcategory to experience a decline, last year?s sales per store of non-chocolate bars/packs also fell by 2.4 percent, an average loss of $241 per store.

Snacking remains hot with on-the-go consumers, but the category?s growth was a bit more stale compared to the previous year. The year-over-year change in average sales per store was halved, dropping from 10 percent in 2012 to 4.9 percent in 2013, or $35,087.

In 2012, five of the salty snack subcategories recorded double-digit growth in sales per store. In 2013, however, only popcorn steamed ahead with a 14.6-percent increase from the prior year.