It’s the middle of February, and you know what that means if you have a significant other: Valentine’s Day. And if you’re in the confectionery industry, you definitely know what that means: lots and lots of candy.
Eater.com compiled a list of statistics on the holiday from a variety of sources, among them being that Valentine's Day week sees the sale of 58 million pounds of chocolate candy.
Chocolate shortage threats be damned, Valentine’s Day certainly has a lot to offer in the space. Here’s a peek at some of the market:
Hershey's
It’s this time of year that Hershey’s “kiss” really counts, right? Its Valentine’s Day line includes both Kisses and Hugs varieties. It appears the brand could be catering to those who may want to let someone down easy on Valentine’s Day, too, unless some people are really just fans of hugs. With The Hershey Co.'s recent acquisition, though, could next year’s Valentine’s Day be a meat lovers’ paradise?
Share HERSHEY’S HUGS & KISSES Chocolates with someone you adore. pic.twitter.com/FDJ3jVtzX6
— HERSHEY'S KISSES (@HersheysKisses) February 7, 2015
M&M’s
If M&M’s are your game, you have quite the number of options this holiday. The brand is giving consumers a range of items, the crux of which are personalized confections — which can get fun and silly, as noted below. This holiday aside, parent company Mars recently announced a partnership with IBM that could change the face of food safety.
This Valentine's Day, give your loved one the #chocolate gift that means more - personalized MY M&M'S! http://t.co/Pmplu3pdFw
— MY M&M'S (@MyMMscom) February 4, 2015
My mom sent me Valentine's Day M&M's that have her face on all of them. Ridiculous
— David Snyder (@DSnyder6) February 6, 2015
Sweethearts
What real Valentine’s Day dessert list would be complete without a mention of Necco's popular little candy hearts? The brand has its yearly "Color Your Own Sweethearts Contest" for 5 to 12-year-old kids.
This wk, it's not surprising when all the #Sweethearts slowly but surely start to disappear! ;-) #YUM #goinggoinggone pic.twitter.com/0MbJ5mxQTw
— NECCO (@NeccoWafers) February 10, 2015
Oreo
It's not candy, but it’ll do. As Food Dive has already announced, Red Velvet Oreos have arrived. And after a personal taste test over here, it’s confirmed that they could be classified as “GREAT” like BuzzFeed said. It should be noted though that they also have a distinct Dunkaroos flavor. This flavor is also most likely to be a bit more welcomed than other Oreo flavors that have graced grocery stands, but to each their own, really.
Have at it! #RedVelvetOreo flavored cookies now in stores! pic.twitter.com/BQXweVv2kd
— Oreo Cookie (@Oreo) February 2, 2015
Cupid Corn
Has it been too long since you’ve peeked at Food Dive’s candy corn feature from October? Cupid Corn is back to rear its Valentine’s Day-colored head for those that enjoy the oft-debated morsel.
This year's crop of Cupid Corn has arrived! pic.twitter.com/k6lYxZ4XIb
— The Candy Store (@thecandystoresf) January 15, 2015
Scott's Cakes 4-Pack Cupid Corn, Smoochie Lips, Conversation Beans, & Chocolate Jordan ... - http://t.co/cOTsHD1jdr pic.twitter.com/zlG1q9QSZO
— best chocolate shop (@bestchocshop) December 9, 2014
Valen-tweets
Meanwhile, feast your eyes on some Valentine’s Day tweets that have been floating around in the industry.
Need Valentine's plans? Come out of your shell w/ oysters. Ours are Responsibly Farmed to meet NEW mollusk standards: http://t.co/rnKHZ0EilR
— WholeFoodsMarket PR (@WholeFoodsPR) February 5, 2015
No more slacking for Valentine's Day... http://t.co/uWMQJHlnBu pic.twitter.com/MBzm18gjhd
— Albertsons (@Albertsons) February 9, 2015
Valentine's Day is less than a week away. Do the right thing...#girlscoutcookies! pic.twitter.com/W5TPBkSFna
— Girl Scouts (@girlscouts) February 9, 2015
Cupid turns into a divorce lawyer when he is hungry. Who are you when you're hungry? #EatASNICKERS #ValentinesDay pic.twitter.com/1vc86Ja4ss
— SNICKERS® (@SNICKERS) February 7, 2015
