Winter Holidays

According to the Greeting Card Association, sales of the greeting card category — which they estimate to be between $7 and $8 billion — have held steady the past few years. 

GLENDALE, Calif. — Nestlé is fully embracing the holiday season ahead by releasing limited-edition varities of its most popular products. Using flavors inspired by this time of year along with fun shapes and packaging, the company is certain these products will be the perfect stocking stuffers. The lineup will feature ready to bake mixes and candy from the popular Butterfinger, Gobstopper, Original Spree, Nestlé Crunch and SweeTARTS brands.

The newly launched limited-edition flavors are:  

Officials at the Global Market Development Center think that retailers have a great opportunity to build sales through several key general merchandise categories, including gift cards, clothing, books and media, this holiday season.

GMDC says that a National Retail Federation study found that sales during the holiday season will increase by 3.4%, with online shopping becoming the most popular consumer experience for the first time in survey history.

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — Ferrero U.S.A, Inc., known best for the Ferrero Rocher, Nutella, and Tic Tac consumables will now be adding a long-awaited product to its portfolio. The company will officially be launching the Kinder Joy, a candy filled treat containing a surprise toy later this year.  

Between Nov. 1-11, ending on Veteran’s Day, online spend surpassed $1 billion in online spend (compared to only nine of 11 days in 2016). This puts spending on pace to hit a total of $13.9 billion, according to data from Adobe Analytics, part of Adobe Experience Cloud.

Besides tracking 1.8% higher than predicted, November’s online spend to date is at a 19.8% year-over-year (YoY) increase, compared to a 4.8% YoY increase in 2016. This was likely due to last year’s presidential election and steeper product discounts in 2017, according to data.

LOS ANGELES — All the flavors of a gingerbread house are now available in a low-calorie ice cream form, with the latest offering from Halo Top Creamery. The brand has announced the release of the limited-edition Gingerbread House flavor that’s loaded with ginger cookie bites and swirls of icing. 

PURCHASE, N.Y. — PepsiCo is getting into the holiday spirit by unveiling limited-edition consumables to fit any occasion. From salty to sweet and everything in between, the company is debuting more than ten items ranging from granola bars, to beverages and chips. 

For those who wish to get a jump on their mornings, PepsiCo will be offering new launches from Starbucks and Quaker that will include: 

PORTLAND, Ore. — Schmidt’s Naturals is kicking off the holiday season by introducing a limited-edition holiday collection with three scents made from quality plant-based ingredients. The goal of each scent is to offer consumers a nostalgic sensory experience, which the company hopes to achieve by offering scents that exemplify the season.