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Gathering restrictions continue to loosen — time to celebrate! At the heart of any good celebration is candy. Celebrations also mean it’s time to get all decked out in our best. Since it’s been a while, we all want something new – from our clothes to candies, too. Help make get-togethers extra stylish with confections inspired by 2022’s design and fashion color trends.

Join us as our experts make the color connection between today’s trends and the candies that will make their celebrations sensational!

Nothing brings on warm and cozy feelings quite like a piping hot cup of tea. Maybe that’s why grocery sales of premium tea bags grew an unprecedented 18 +% in 2020 (Tea & Coffee Trade Journal). But don’t think their mugs are filled only with basic black. It’s anything but. They’re playing with premium blends and ingredients that support health and wellness.

Don’t be “chai.” Pour a cup and read on for the “it” tea trends that are TEA-riffic for your hot beverage selection.

2020 was the year of chocolate, with sales reaching record highs. Up there with chocolate, was wine, both making national supermarket chain Kroger’s list of top purchased items for 2020. For 2021, expect to see these trends continue. Also sticking around for 2021 according to PopSugar, is the at-home foodie, with home cooking and tasting kits providing culinary entertainment in a box. Good things come in pairs. Now’s the time to pair customers’ love of chocolate and their zeal for wine with their inner foodie. Introduce them to chocolate pairings.

Chocolate and food pairings elevate chocolate from everyday snacking to a gourmet experience. Perfect for customers looking for a new way to entertain at home. Great for you as it creates the perfect upsell opportunity.

When it comes to pairs go beyond the typical peanuts and caramel. We asked our chocolate experts to help guide us to view chocolate and food pairings with a fresh pair of eyes. Here are some

2020 sparked new consumer appetites that continue into 2021, including cravings for specialty non-alcoholic beverages, according to Forbes. With traveling and other activities sluggish to return to pre-lockdown levels, customers seek to sip from other wells of adventure. A top popular oasis — specialty beverages. It’s time to add a POP of flavor to your beverage selection.

Beverage Daily released it’s 2021 flavor trends that are sure to raise glasses and eyebrows. Read on for practical ways to build these fashionable flavors into your beverage selection.

The face of retail is changing due to consumer demand during Covid

Health and beauty products are enjoying a boom as folks are opting to stay home and self care. As video calls are on the rise, and consumers curb salon and spa visits, Vogue Business reports, folks are opting to create the spa experience at home.

Contrary to the trends we’ve seen on social media as of late, consumers aren’t clamoring for products that promise to transform them into renown professional stylists, spa technicians, or celebrity spokespeople. As with food, there is a renewed interest in “wellness and clean beauty,” according to Women’s Wear Daily. As a result, we are witnessing an increased demand for health and beauty products made with natural and plant-based ingredients.

While many consumers are purchasing health and beauty products online, there is plenty of potential for food retailers, gift basket crafters, and mom and pop shops to clean up by bringing in

There’s no denying that Covid has changed how and what food consumers purchase. According to Food manufacturing, 72% of consumers are shopping less often during COVID-19, opting for stocking up. There’s also a move towards online food shopping, with 78.7% of US shoppers purchasing their groceries online, according to Supermarket News. Regardless of how they’re purchasing, online or in stores, and how frequent, we’re seeing two types of consumers emerging — those craving comfort and those drawn towards food’s health benefits.

Knowing and understanding these shifts in cravings can help you to better determine what products to stock and promote. Let’s dive into the types of cravings and what foods consumers desire right now.