The confectionery industry is no stranger to National Candy Month.
In fact, the industry and its retail partners have been celebrating the month for 52 years now, since the National Confectioners Association established the initiative in 1974.
Though it initially began in January to boost sales after the winter holiday season, the event soon found its permanent home in June, serving as a bridge between spring’s busy Easter season and fall’s monumental Halloween season.
A major retail opportunity
Today, major retailers such as Walmart, Target and Amazon now participate in the campaign, growing it from a one-month test in 570 retailer locations in 2020 to a summer-long promotion in more than 60,000 stores nationwide. Most significantly, National Candy Month offers a $1 billion incremental sales opportunity, according to NCA and Circana summer confectionery sales data.
“National Candy Month helps retailers capture a significant sales opportunity during the summer months by connecting candy with seasonal celebrations, travel, outdoor activities and everyday treating moments,” said Carly Schildhaus, NCA’s senior director of public affairs and communications. “It’s a proven way to drive excitement, increase basket size and keep confectionery top of mind between Easter and Halloween. The program has demonstrated that retailers are looking to reach consumers eager to include candy in their summer traditions.”
Retailers can create engaging displays that connect candy with summer occasions like road trips, barbecues, and holiday celebrations, Schildhaus said.
“Cross-merchandising seasonal treats alongside grilling supplies, beverages and party essentials makes it easy for shoppers to add a little sweetness to every summer gathering,” Schildhaus explains.
America250 and the Sweet Land of Liberty
This year, however, the event coincides with America250, offering brands and retailers a unique opportunity to celebrate the role of chocolate and candy in classic summer moments with patriotic-themed merchandising and promotions throughout the summer, especially leveraging red, white, and blue products.
“This year in particular, patriotic promotions tied to America’s 250th birthday can also help create a memorable shopping experience that inspires new discoveries and larger baskets,” Schildhaus said. “Paradies Lagardere, as one example, is using campaign collateral during high summer travel months in more than 560 retail locations across 92 airports this year.”
This includes engaging with NCA’s original celebration of America250: the Sweet Land of Liberty campaign, which spotlights the confectionery industry’s legacy and
its nearly $50 billion impact on the US economy.
“The campaign highlights the innovation, entrepreneurship and economic impact that have helped to solidify chocolate and candy’s important role in the lives of Americans,” Schildhaus said.
In conjunction with Sweet Land of Liberty, NCA created an AI-generated anthem as a unique soundtrack for the initiative, highlighting the role of chocolate and candy in the nation’s history and daily life, and serving as a unifying element for the campaign’s events and activations.
“Chocolate and candy have been part of American life since the beginning,” wrote NCA President and CEO John Downs in an exclusive article for SmartBrief. “These treats are a key piece of holidays, traditions and occasions — the big and small moments that connect us. We knew that telling that story in a fresh way required us to think differently.”
The anthem – and the overall campaign – do just that, Schildhaus said, linking present-day joy to deep-rooted history.
“National Candy Month is all about celebrating the special role chocolate and candy play in the moments that bring people together during the summer,” she said. “Pairing it with our Sweet Land of Liberty campaign creates an opportunity to tell a broader story about the confectionery industry’s 250-year history as an American manufacturing success story and its enduring place in our traditions, holidays and celebrations.”
Recent related stories:
- The $55 billion sweet spot: Why the confectionery industry is 2026’s ultimate resilience story
- Giving America’s confectionery story a soundtrack
- Q&A: NCA’s John Downs shares insights on the state of the confectionery industry
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