To celebrate National Candy Day, which just passed this weekend, here are some insights from Circana's Dan Sadler on the growth of novelty candy -- one of the topics he touched on during his presentation at ECRM's recent Candy Planning: Everyday & Summer Seasonal session.

According to Circana, dollar sales of novelty candy are up 40 percent, and unit sales are up 30 percent, and as they are prices 25 percent higher than the category, this candy segment is a real moneymaker for retailers. 

Novelty candy items we saw at the session ranged from unique shapes and textures (like French Fries and ketchup candy) to candy-as-toys, to candy with very innovative flavor combinations -- and even spices. They are usually very instagrammable and are great for the front end to grab impulse sales.

You'll find plenty of these products at ECRM's Candy sessions, as well as the Impulse, Front-End & Checklane session, all of which can be found at this link!