Candy Rain
I was a convenience store today and was blown away by the variety of candy and mints that were being sold. I don't mean to suggest this is some kind of new phenomenon, but I never really thought about it before. How do all these product lines survive? I understand that the same company is making like 15 different chocolate bars, much as one cereal company has a lot of different cereals, but still - to maintain the separate production of a type of candy has substantial costs, but I never see or hear of anyone ever eating a lot of the things I see in stores. 
At least with every cereal I see frequently, I know people who eat (or as kids, used to eat) those cereals. Almost half the candies feel like they have no audience. One time, when I was maybe 8 years old, Rich gave me a SKOR bar, which I had never noticed before, but he claimed was good. I had it, it was in fact good, and I never had it again. I never saw anyone else eat one. I never even heard of anyone eating one. Yet there it is, sitting in the store, waiting patiently for no one to buy it. 
When retired General Wesley Clark was running for president, I saw him on TV giving away Clark candy bars, and I thought it was weird that he would develop a candy bar just for his campaign, until someone told me that it was actually a commonly sold candy brand. I went to the store, and what do you know, a Clark bar. Never eaten one, never seen anyone else eat one. Then there's 100 Grand, which I've eaten myself because my dad had a buy one, get one free coupon for Halloween candy when I was a little kid, but I don't know of anyone else who eats it, save for the kids who came to our house that Halloween. I just don't comprehend how these obscure candies make money.
I also saw Certs in the store - have those become obsolete? I know they existed before Altoids became popular, but since Altoids burst onto the scene, I haven't seen anyone with Certs. There were a whole variety of newer Certs mints, which I've seen people buy, but they still sold like 5 flavors of the original roll Certs, which I don't think I've seen anyone with since like 1995. Maybe it's just so cheap to make candy and mints that even when the entire market passes it by, it's still better to continue producing. In which case, I demand a price drop - I rarely buy candy or mints anymore, so it won't save me much money, but it's the kids I'm looking out for. Children are our future.
At least with every cereal I see frequently, I know people who eat (or as kids, used to eat) those cereals. Almost half the candies feel like they have no audience. One time, when I was maybe 8 years old, Rich gave me a SKOR bar, which I had never noticed before, but he claimed was good. I had it, it was in fact good, and I never had it again. I never saw anyone else eat one. I never even heard of anyone eating one. Yet there it is, sitting in the store, waiting patiently for no one to buy it. 
When retired General Wesley Clark was running for president, I saw him on TV giving away Clark candy bars, and I thought it was weird that he would develop a candy bar just for his campaign, until someone told me that it was actually a commonly sold candy brand. I went to the store, and what do you know, a Clark bar. Never eaten one, never seen anyone else eat one. Then there's 100 Grand, which I've eaten myself because my dad had a buy one, get one free coupon for Halloween candy when I was a little kid, but I don't know of anyone else who eats it, save for the kids who came to our house that Halloween. I just don't comprehend how these obscure candies make money.
I also saw Certs in the store - have those become obsolete? I know they existed before Altoids became popular, but since Altoids burst onto the scene, I haven't seen anyone with Certs. There were a whole variety of newer Certs mints, which I've seen people buy, but they still sold like 5 flavors of the original roll Certs, which I don't think I've seen anyone with since like 1995. Maybe it's just so cheap to make candy and mints that even when the entire market passes it by, it's still better to continue producing. In which case, I demand a price drop - I rarely buy candy or mints anymore, so it won't save me much money, but it's the kids I'm looking out for. Children are our future.
6 comments:
candy bars are like mexican food--take a few basic ingredients, mix and match in various ways, and end up with an infinite amount of delicious combinations
That's the thing though - I can be in the mood for chimichangas one day, and taquitos the next, but I don't walk to the store and think, today feels like a 100 Grand kind of day.
Also, Mounds sucks.
holy cow, i hate mounds...
also, did you know the c-store sells big league chew? to tell you the truth, i don't understand how anything bubble gum flavored has survived at all -- it's a disgusting flavor. but more to the point, i really believe that college aged people should not be chewing bits of shredded bubble gum, pretending to be professional ball players. you should either be get some real gum... or get some real gum. you shouldn't even chew real tobacco cuz that's a sick habit.
freak, i LOVE mounds. i would die for mounds right now. mmm...
Bubble gum flavor always reminds me of when I used to get Bowman's baseball cards back in the day, and there was that disgusting unwrapped stick of gum inside. I dislike bubble gum flavor as well.
While I agree that Big League Chew should be a thing of the past for a 22-year old, I would point out that I think they make it in a ton of different flavors.
Mounds is awful.
Mounds is the bomb. I don't even know why there was a debate between Mounds and Almond Joy because Mounds wins that hands down.
That's not to say I actually purchase it. If it's around I eat it.
Also, don't underestimate the power of Holloween. You get a bunch of random crap that's probably 60% of their sales volume for the year. I remember getting Clark bars, Charleston Chews, Bit o' Honey's, and those strawberry hard candies with the foil strawberry wrappers. I would never buy that stuff if I had a choice.
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