Confectionery wholesaler urges retailers to stay updated with social media trends

UK’s leading confectionery distributor World of Sweets is encouraging retailers to keep an eye on social media trends to boost their sales, saying social media platforms like TikTok can be incredibly useful when it comes to knowing which products to stock as children, teenagers and young adults are always sharing the latest craze.

In March 2023, Ofcom reported that 5.2 million 15-24 year olds used TikTok and spent an average of 58 minutes a day on the app, followed by 48 minutes on YouTube and 25 minutes on Instagram. According to a recent research, 66 per cent of consumers use video content to learn about a brand or product, proving the majority of customers rely on social media to influence their buying habits.

These videos are often of unboxings which show customers opening products for the first time, reviews and taste tests.

A recent campaign by Zed Candy around its Big Lick product was successful across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. The campaign had a total of 22.7 million views on TikTok alone with thousands of people commenting on how much they love the Zed Candy line.

The popular brand is rolling out their social media campaigns for other new and exciting kids novelty products in the Screamers range including the innovative Shake & Spray, Sour Gel, Sour Powder, and Mega Sour Gum Rope, stated recent reports.

Reports quoted Chris Smith, Partner Brand Manager at World of Sweets as saying, “We all know that social media is an incredibly powerful tool and it can be great for keeping an eye on trends and products that are in demand.

“People share everything nowadays including which products they’re loving. Statistics show that people use social media to help with their buying decisions meaning that the chances are if it’s trending online it will be flying off the shelves.

“Zed Candy’s recent social media campaign is a prime example of this. It was a hugely successful campaign with loads of engagement across all social media platforms.

“Spotting this trend and stocking up on Zed Candy products would have put retailers ahead of the curve.

“That’s why we’re encouraging our customers to take advantage of social media and use it to monitor new emerging trends and products to help drive sales and meet demand.

“It really is a great way for retailers to see what people are invested in real time.”

World of Sweets is the UK’s largest confectionery distributor, importer, and wholesaler, supplying thousands of customers across all retail channels.

Offering a world of distribution solutions from e-commerce wholesale with 55,000 visitors per week to Hancocks wholesale stores with over 22,000 customers, a field sales team including a retailer app and website login covering 7,000 independent customers and a national accounts team covering all UK retail channels.