S. Abraham & Sons Experiences Sweet Sales Boost During National Candy Month

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — S. Abraham & Sons Inc. (SAS), a subsidiary of Imperial Trading Co., concluded its third year of celebrating National Candy Month, which resulted in a sweet sales boost.

The campaign, which ran throughout June, had an outstanding participation rate, with 40 percent of stores implementing captivating in-store promotions, SAS reported. As a result of the campaign, the distributor experienced a 29 percent increase in unit sales over the prior month and a 21 percent increase in units over the prior year's program.

[Read more: S. Abraham & Sons Celebrates Second National Candy Month Campaign]

Created by the National Confectioners Association and launched in June 2016, National Candy Month serves as a national awareness movement that celebrates chocolate and candy as summertime treats that encourage emotional wellbeing.

SAS offered a 16-page National Candy Month ad that featured deals on 112 top candy items. There was also an incentive for the sales region that sold the most items.

The in-store promotions were a key aspect of SAS's strategy, aimed at captivating consumers' attention within the candy aisle. The distributor hosted a second sales competition, encouraging sales representatives to submit photos through an online portal with a goal of 20 percent of their stores showing the use of provided point-of-sale materials. This contest resulted in a 40 percent submission rate featuring everything from shelf danglers and window clings to homemade signs and retailers' own in-store contests.

"We are thrilled with the overwhelming success of our National Candy Month promotion. The collaboration between our manufacturers offering great deals, our sales representatives pushing the contests, and our retail partners' participation allowed SAS to create a buzz around confectionery products and drive sales," said Alyssa Snyr, category manager – confection & snacks, S. Abraham & Sons. "We are committed to continuing our tradition of providing outstanding National Candy Month promotions each year."

[Read more: S. Abraham & Sons Adds New Manufacturers to Annual Show]

A subsidiary of Imperial Trading Co., Grand Rapids-based SAS provides marketing, distribution and technology solutions to convenience retailers. Its service area stretches from the border between the United States and Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, and it services more than 5,000 retail locations.

Headquartered in Elmwood, La., Imperial Trading has six distribution centers serving 21 states.