Expand Fresh Snack Options Without Maxing Out Equipment

Retailers can expect to experience a continued heightened demand for snacks, as consumers’ interest in snacking shows no sign of slowing. According to Technomic’s 2022 Snacking Consumer Trend Report, 75% of consumers snack at least once per day and consumers under the age of 35 are the most frequent snackers. For retailers, offering a variety of snacks is crucial, but with space limitations and labor shortages, it’s important to find a solution that meets store needs as well as consumer demands.

What snacks do consumers love most?

Popcorn, fudge and nuts continue to be among the top snacks preferred by consumers—55% of consumers purchase candy (chocolate bars or other) to snack on at least occasionally; followed by nuts, with 42% of consumers purchasing them; and popcorn, 41%—according to Technomic’s 2022 Snacking Occasion Consumer Trend Report. In order to keep consumers engaged and coming back for more, it is also important to provide consumers with a variety of snack choices. Sweet, salty and savory options can be a great way to satisfy an array of cravings. A diverse selection of items makes individuals more likely to be enticed to try different options and explore new tastes.

A choice of portion sizes keeps every customer happy

There are plenty of sales opportunities with popcorn, fudge and nuts, from snack sizes and shareable packages to party platters and gift baskets. An advantage of fresh snacks is they can be offered in multiple sizes. This increases profit potential over prepackaged alternatives. According to Technomic's 2022 Snacking Occasion Consumer Trend Report, smaller or “mini” snack portions are a potential area of opportunity. Additionally, highlighting a food’s “snackability” or offering it in a shareable, snackable format can help encourage purchases, the Snacking Occasion Consumer Trend Report says. Smaller snack portions are great for kids or people who want “mini” options, while platters are perfect for events and special occasions.

One machine, multiple products

Producing fresh gourmet popcorn, fudge and frosted nuts doesn’t have to mean making space and budget allotments for multiple machines. The Combo Kandy King from Gold Medal can produce delicious treats, such as caramel corn, fudge and frosted nuts, from the convenience of a single unit. Here’s how: the Combo Kandy King has membrane controls with the capability to adjust temperature and cook cycles. Plus, it comes equipped with the necessary paddles and drums for each product. The temperature sensor with digital temperature display is ideal for improving the ease of the production process. Additional features include the pre-alarm for caramel corn and the simple-to-use cleaning mode.

The Combo Kandy King is a one-stop shop for delicious treats. It is designed to provide consistent, high-quality batches. Use it for gourmet popcorn flavors, including caramel corn or other glazed varieties. Make decadent fudge recipes. And create frosted nuts such as almonds, peanuts, cashews and pecans.

Gold Medal’s Combo Kandy King allows retailers to easily make the kinds of snacks shoppers love. Because it can produce multiple products in one machine, this is an ideal piece of equipment to add to a store’s fresh department.

To learn more or to schedule a demonstration of the Combo Kandy King, contact Gold Medal at 1-800-543-0862 or visit gmpopcorn.com to find the nearest Gold Medal distributor.

To create an impressive customer experience, many stores are adding full sweet shop setups. In addition to gourmet popcorn, fudge and frosted nuts, the complete sweet shop setup also includes cotton candy, caramel apples and other tasty treats. For more information on Gold Medal’s sweet shop setup for grocery stores, download the e-book, In-Store Snacking Solutions