There’s one type of retailer that’s bound to be met with a rapturous response when it arrives on the High Street and that’s the humble sweetie shop.

Sweetez was no exception when it opened its first Belfast shop earlier this month, sparking queues out of the door of the Cregagh Road store and customers coming back for more on the following day.

Alan Sherrard, director of Sweetez Retail Limited, explains that sweets are still popular despite the cost of living crisis.

“Life’s tough enough at the minute but people are still treating themselves, and going out and getting the wee bits and pieces that they want,” he says.

“We’ve had a great response, we’ve had queues out through the door and we’re getting a lot of repeat customers back in. It’s not just one group – there’s young kids coming in and older customers coming in as well.

“We offer a big range, not just of American confectionery, but also what I would call local stuff that you would get in other shops.”

Undertapped market

The USP of the store is its focus on American confectionery brands which Alan says is an undertapped market.

“We saw there was a big gap in the market for American lines and this is mainly being driven by the likes of TikTok and YouTube,” he says.

“You get a lot of younger children and kids coming in and asking for things that they may have seen on YouTube or TikTok, mostly American lines.

“So there would be new lines coming out, the likes of Takis, Cheetos, that type of stuff, that they’re seeing on there because people are maybe doing taste test challenges and they’re coming in and asking us for those lines.”

Alan has been immersed in retail management and sales since leaving school 23 years ago, and this isn’t the first store he has managed.

“When I left school, I joined SuperValu as a trainee manager, worked my way up to managing my own shop and then moved into the other side of it and went out to sales, so I’ve done sales as well,” he says.

“The shop I was managing was Centra in Loughgall at the time – it’s a Mace now. I’ve also worked for the National Lottery as well, out and about on the road with Camelot.

Direct sales

“Our sister company is a wholesaler of confectionery so we decided we could open a shop and sell directly to the public,” Alan says.

“We came up with the idea of opening a shop in Armagh. So we investigated and came up with a location in Armagh that would be our test shop to see what worked and what didn’t work.

“We got that one open in July of last year and then followed up with the Portadown store in March this year – and now Belfast. So that’s been three stores within the last 12 months.”

Donut brand

And they haven’t just stopped at sweets, Alan says.

“What we’ve done also, we created our own donut brand because there is a big gap in the market there, and we launched it in our Portadown store,” he says.

“So all of our donuts that we sell in our own shops are manufactured in our Portadown store under the brand of Gangsta Donuts.

“The Portadown store is three times the size of the Armagh one but we have a bit more space there so that we can develop this brand. Because there definitely is a gap in the market there for a reliable good quality donut brand.

“We do the ring donuts but we also do filled donuts with the likes of Biscoff, Bueno, Milky Bar, that have the softness in the middle of them, and that’s something that we are going to be pushing and growing.

“So we are looking to sell those in the stores, not just within our own retail stores, but we also have a couple of customers coming on board who have their own shops that we’re going to be supplying as well.

“We’ve doubled the amount of space that’s being given to the donuts, and the rest of the range will be similar. We pack our own branded pick-and-mix sweets in our warehouse so we’re pushing them as well.”

Healthy desserts

Another big innovation on the way is the company’s new line of Dole desserts – a soft serve dessert which is vegan, gluten-free, low fat and low sugar.

“It’s a healthy alternative to shipped ice cream. It comes in pineapple and raspberry flavours, so it’s like a sorbet but it comes out of the whipped ice cream machine,” Alan says.

“I think there’s only one other shop in Northern Ireland that’s doing it so we’re going to be pushing this in all three of our shops.”

Fittingly, the new store at Cregagh Road was actually a former donut store and Sweetez has converted it and put their own twist on it with their own style of branding.

Alan says: “When customers walk in, they’re hit by a sea of colour, our famous pink branding that we have in all of our shops. They’re hit by a sea of pink, and then they’ll see a big range of sweeties, personalised products and our donut counter when they walk in through as well, – it’s very much in their face.

Personalised service

“We can also do personalised sweet bags, so we can personalise any of our pick-and-mix bags. We do a big range of those for the likes of birthday parties, weddings and christenings. Any event that is out there, we can provide a personalised bag or bags for it.

“We’ll also do the likes of the sweet cones that you can get – we can personalise those for parties, we can do 24 of those with, say, somebody’s face on them and a message. There are lots of different things we can do for people to cater for parties.”

The plan is to keep growing and become the go-to shop if somebody wants sweet treats for an event, Alan says.

“If somebody wants sweets or a treat, we want Sweetez to be the go-to destination,” he says.

“Events are something we’ll look at at some stage, but at the moment we just want to get the shops up and running and going.

“We did take a stall at the Co Armagh show where we had our big gazebo up at it, so it’s something that we’re looking to do as well going forward.”

New locations

And the company is currently eyeing up new locations for shops, he says.

“There’s a couple in mind – we’re always looking so the plan is to just keep growing and add on when the right location becomes available. We’re not stopping at three shops,” Alan says.

“We’d like to think by the end of the year there could be another one open and then keep going again.

“Belfast is where the people are. There’s a bigger population in Belfast so we will look towards Belfast but we’ll look to keep going in different areas as well whenever we can see something suitable come up, maybe Lisburn, Belfast, that sort of direction.”

Next big thing

They will also be looking out for new ideas as well as new locations.

“We’re always looking to see the next big thing coming along,” Alan says.

“If there’s something different that somebody else doesn’t have but, you know, a gap in the market, we’ll look to exploit that. We don’t know what it is yet but we’ll keep looking out for that. The Dole and the donuts, those are the big growth areas.

“The Gangsta Donut brand that we have there is our key growth area, I feel at the minute, because we’re finding that, especially in Belfast, that one in every two customers that’s going to the till is purchasing donuts.

“They’re made fresh every day so you can rely on them being fresh as well . We also do coffee under the Gangsta brand, so we do have a deal there – a donut and a coffee deal as well in the shop and that’s been popular.”

To read the full feature in Neighbourhood Retailer, click HERE.

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Therefore, it’s essential to stock a range of best-selling, well known brands to entice retailers that are hoping to appeal to customers that plan on making the most of the festivities.

Perfect for all sharing occasions, Swizzels’ Variety bags have recently been rebranded to include everyone’s favourites in three different packs, such as Luscious Lollies 176g, Scrumptious Sweets 173g, and Curious Chews 171g. Available with a £1 RSP, the bags are free from artificial colours and are now all suitable for vegans.

Another product from Swizzels is the Sweet Shop Favourites Tub, which saw a 171% uplift last Christmas. It is the No.1 tub seller at Christmas and is perfect for selling over the festive period and beyond.

Containing a variety of individually wrapped favourites including Squashies, Love Hearts and Refreshers, there’s something for everyone in this tub – making it a guaranteed seller and a must-stock.

Other must-stock products perfect for gifting or sharing from the Sweet Shop Favourites range include the Sweet Shop Favourites pouch 450g and the Sweet Shop Favorites Carton.

This Christmas, Swizzels has some very exciting NPD to shout about.

Following the success of its agreed license with Universal, which included the launch of the brand-new Minions-themed range, Swizzels is delighted to announce its latest product in the selection – its Very Berry chew bars.

Featuring two new flavours: Strawberry & Blueberry and Raspberry & Blackcurrant, the vegan-friendly chew bars are presented in vibrant packaging that features a different Minion on each product – with Christmassy colours to add even more to its festive aesthetic. RRP £1.

Swizzels’ top 3 tips to maximise profits for wholesalers/ C&Cs this Christmas

1. Prep for a ‘tight’ Christmas!

As over 53% are having to reduce spending to pay their bills, value-for-money confectionery continues to be a hugely popular choice for shoppers, particularly as financial circumstances have changed post-pandemic.

Consequently, whilst this Christmas many will want to celebrate the festivities as much as possible, they are likely to be on a tighter budget – so it’s important to stock the right confectionery to appeal to the masses.

58% of shoppers also prefer retailers that sell products with price on the packaging, so retailers should stock a range of value products from popular brands to boost sales.

2. Merchandise seasonal together

With Christmas comes seasonal ranges of popular sweets. Customers will be on the lookout for any opportunities to stock up on these to fit in with themed parties and even secret Santas, so they are sure to be in high demand.

To make it easier to find, retailers should also create a section in-store or online that highlights this range – in a high-footfall location that their customers will definitely walk by, e.g. at the front of the store or end-of-aisle.

3. Don’t underestimate the importance of displays

Seasonal events are the perfect time to create and produce displays that promote your Christmas offering in an exciting way.

At the start of November, retailers should create a Christmas themed display in a high footfall area, like an aisle end or front of store, to take advantage of the countdown to Christmas.

This could include Christmas themed confectionery and also sharing & gifting formats, as shoppers will be looking to take advantage of spending the festive period with loved ones.

The post Swizzels top tips for retailers/ store owners this Christmas first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

Typically known for its ingenious sweet inventions and countless favourites spanning over 90 years, Swizzels has entered the mallow category for the first time in its history.

The company has combined its iconic and unique Drumstick lolly flavour, known and loved for more than 60 years, to create a unique-tasting marshmallow sweet.

Mark Walker, Sales Director at Swizzels commented: “We’re extremely excited about the launch of Marvellous Mallows, our latest sweet innovation and first marshmallow product in our history.

“Mixing traditional & consumer favourite flavours in to new sweets is key to our product development. Thanks to our past success, we’re confident that Marvellous Mallows will be an exciting new addition to the mallows category this year.”

The product is sure to stand out on shelf thanks to its eye-catching pack design, and will be supported by an integrated marketing tht will ensure the packs fly off the shelves.

It’s not the first time Swizzels has reimagined its popular drumstick flavour through a new product.

Last year, the business launched its first ever Drumstick chocolate bar, which has sold over 4.2 million bars since its launch, whilst Squashies, which come in Drumstick Raspberry & Milk flavour, is now the number one sugar confectionery brand in the UK.

Mark Walker continued: “Mallows have continued growing over the last year and are now worth £24.7 million, showing that the Mallows category is popular with consumers and can help drive your sales.

“With own-label marshmallows now in decline, our latest innovation reinvents the category and offers consumers the chance to purchase a mallow product from a much-loved, well-established brand.”

Fat-free with no artificial colours, Marvellous Mallows can be purchased in selected retailers in a 125g bag with an RSP of £1.

Swizzels is the UK’s largest family-owned independent sugar confectionery business and one of the few confectionery companies to still manufacture sweets in the UK. The company makes a range of well-known products including Love Hearts, Refreshers, Drumstick Lollies, Rainbow Drops, Double Lollies, Squashies and Fruity Pops.

The post Swizzels enters Mallows category for the first time with NPD first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

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Meanwhile, Northern Ireland grocery sales have dropped by 6.7% in the 52 weeks to 20 March 2022, according to Kantar.

As prices rise across the board, grocery inflation for this period stands at 0.8%.

“We are seeing people return to more typical shopping patterns as we start to emerge from the pandemic,” Emer Healy, Senior Retail Analyst at Kantar, said.

“Shoppers in Northern Ireland are making more frequent trips to the supermarket, with visits up 0.7% as they get out and about again. With restaurants and cafés back open for business, shoppers are cooking fewer meals at home and buying a lot less when they’re in store.

“There’s been an 8.3% decline in the number of items in people’s trollies. Now that shoppers aren’t looking to treat themselves at home as much as they did during lockdown, we’re seeing a steep decline in sales of take-home confectionery which have dropped by 19% in the latest 12 weeks.

“Northern Irish shoppers are freshening themselves up to return to socialising and getting ready for some spring cleaning too. Sales of personal care products like deodorant and shampoo have increased by 5.8% over the past three months. Household cleaning products including bleach and surface cleaner have also seen a boost in the same period, with sales up by 2.1% as shoppers keep an eye on health and hygiene.

“Tesco remains top of the table as Northern Ireland’s largest grocer with a market share of 36.0%, and, while sales dropped by 6.1% compared with last year, the grocer registered 4.6% growth against early 2020. Sainsbury’s holds the second biggest slice of spend and a 16.9% share of the market.

“Asda’s market share stands at 16.3%. With a 7.0% market share, Lidl is the fastest growing retailer and the only grocer to achieve growth year on year.”

The post Shoppers shedding their sweet tooth since start of 2022: Kantar first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.