Last year, Finns bought a record amount of loose candies.
Irtokarki did their business last year. handout
Although the prices have risen, the sale of sweets has nevertheless increased. This can be seen from last year’s sales statistics of the S and K groups.
– Confectionery sales in the S group increased by 6.5 percent in kilograms compared to the previous year, says the S group’s supermarket sales manager Nina Paavilainen in the bulletin.
The same can be seen in the K group, although not as strong an increase. Kesko’s confectionery purchasing and sales manager Sari Oksanen notes that, overall, the sale of sweets last year was fairly flat compared to the previous year.
Of all the sweets sold by the S group, the loose candies are by far the most popular. They were sold in record numbers in 2022: sales increased by 28.5 percent measured in kilograms.
According to Paavilainen, the strong growth in the sale of loose sweets can be partly explained by the fact that their price per kilo is quite low in the current situation compared to bagged products and the fact that purchasing behavior is returning to normal after the corona.
Growth has also taken place at Kesko, specifically on the bulk candy shelf.
– Sales of loose sweets and chocolate bars have developed particularly well, Oksanen continues.
Among the loose candies of the S group, chocolates are the most in demand. Anssi Vuohelainen
The most popular flavors of loose candies are fruit candies, licorice and chocolate sweets.
S-group’s Paavilainen says in a press release that sales of sweets usually increase in a weak economic situation. Buying them is often very personal: you reward and pamper yourself with candies and chocolates. In addition to this, basic sweets are products with a low purchase threshold.
K-group’s Oksanen also shares the same opinion: moments of indulgence are of increasing importance in an uncertain world situation.
Among sweets, the K group sells the most bags of sweets in terms of kilos. Finns’ favorites are mixed bags with several different candy options.
After loose candies, the best-selling sweets in the S group have long been Fazer’s blue chocolate bar, Double bar and Remix candy bags.
The role of novelties in the selections is really significant, and consumers want to try new sweets. However, only about 20 percent of all launched novelties are in the selections after only two years.