New Product Hot Picks - Week 2 - March 2020

Salted caramel has become a popular flavour in confectionery. Successful products from KitKat, to name one example has established Salted Caramel as a favourite among British shoppers. After success with their white chocolate Twix variety in 2019, Mars has released a Salted Caramel Twix. Its popularity cannot be denied, having achieved an average weekly, non-promo Rate of Sale (ROS) of 20.

When you think of orange and chocolate, you'll likely think of Terry's. The brand has become synonymous with the flavour with its clever use of branding and presentation. The traditional format, as a breakable chocolate orange has been a stand-out success, but the size and manner of breaking the orange open are not compatible with the 'on-the-go' consumer. A simpler, more mobile product, the form of a bar proved popular for Terry's for some years. The new larger format is a response to the increasing sales of price marked, larger-sized confectionery products (Did you know Cadbury's Dairy Milk PM£1 is the best selling product in confectionery?). It's no surprise that a popular product, competitive price, and a price mark for peace-of-mind has already provided a weekly average non-promo ROS of 15, which we anticipate will continue to grow before the warm summer months begin.

Mars have seen substantial success in their Twix range with two popular releases. We already mentioned the Salted Caramel variety above, but Cookies and Creme, a flavour already popular in the United States, is also making headway with UK shoppers. Its off-promo average weekly ROS is currently 11, which is promising, and we will be watching this line with interest to see how the British Public responds to the growing trend of releasing international lines in the UK. Please see last week's NPD Hot Picks for information on other global products arriving in the UK.