National Candy Month
Give yourself some room to indulge in your favorite candies during Candy Month, from Haribo gummy bears to Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and more.
Drive June candy sales and brand engagement by celebrating indulgence with nostalgic, retro, and premium candy promotions across retail and e-commerce channels.
- Throwback candy challenge: which childhood favorite will you rediscover this June?
- DIY candy-making tutorials featuring easy recipes like chocolate caramel turtles and peanut butter fudge
- Limited-edition June bundles pairing classic brands (Haribo, Reese's, Snickers) with exclusive flavors
- User-generated content campaign: share your candy haul or homemade creations for a chance to win
Campaign ideas8
- Launch secondary displays in high-traffic areas with patriotic red, white & blue candy bundles for summer road trips (inspired by RaceTrac's success)
- Run in-store contests—e.g., 'Guess the Jar' with gummy candies or win a 5-pound Hershey's bar at each location to drive foot traffic
- Cross-merchandise candy with summer essentials: gummies + beach towels/sunscreen, hard candies + sunglasses, chocolate + gift cards for Father's Day
- Host a 'Candy Carnival' themed display competition between stores, with winning team splitting prize money (boosts employee engagement & store creativity)
- Create themed promotions: 'Treat Yourself Tuesdays' (discounts on low-traffic days) and 'Summer Sampler Saturdays' (showcase seasonal/new products)
- Partner with top candy manufacturers (Hershey, Mars Wrigley, Ferrero, Mondelēz) to co-develop promotional deals and limited-time offers
- Set up special endcaps featuring share-size candy formats perfect for summer gatherings, cookouts, and family road trips
- Develop integrated marketing campaign with in-store signage, shelf talkers, banners, local advertising, and email blasts using 'Share the Sweetness of Summer' theme
Social angles6
- Share behind-the-scenes candy shop tours or time-lapses of seasonal displays being built. Tag with #NationalCandyMonth #ShareTheSweetness #SummerTreats
- Post user-generated content: encourage customers to share summer candy moments (road trips, pool parties, cookouts) with your brand tagged #MyCandyMemory #SummerSweets
- Host interactive polls: 'What's your go-to summer candy?' or 'Beach or campfire snacks?' Use Instagram Stories/Facebook polls to boost engagement by ~29%
- Countdown posts leading to National Candy Month launch with limited-edition candy sneak peeks. Use countdowns and teaser visuals for urgency
- Share fun candy facts & nostalgia: '86% of road trippers bring candy,' '75% of campers pack treats for s'mores,' 'Beach day + gummies = perfect combo'
- Create carousel posts showcasing cross-merchandising ideas (candy + summer products). Show creative bundle combos & pricing
Ad copy starters5
“'Share the Sweetness of Summer' – Stock up on candy for road trips, beach days & backyard BBQs. National Candy Month deals all June.”
“Beat the heat with summer's favorite treats. Limited-time endcap deals on gummies, chocolate & hard candies. Shop now.”
“Summer just got sweeter. Candy Carnival starts now—exclusive June promotions on your favorite brands. In-store & online.”
“Road trip ready? Grab share-size candy bundles for less. National Candy Month specials on Hershey's, Mars & more.”
“Candy + Summer = The perfect match. Discover new flavors, classic favorites & exclusive limited editions this June.”
Tips4
- DO: Partner early with candy manufacturers (Hershey, Mars Wrigley, Ferrero, Mondelēz) for co-funded deals and promotional support. Strong vendor partnerships drive the biggest results.
- DO: Tie promotions to summer occasions (road trips, Father's Day, graduations, beach days, campfires, family reunions). Emotional connection to 'moments' drives purchase intent.
- DON'T: Generic 'buy candy' messaging. Be specific—highlight seasonal bundles, share-size formats, and cross-merchandising opportunities that make sense for summer.
- DO: Measure everything. Track sales lift (participating stores should see 74%+ unit increase and 103%+ dollar lift), foot traffic, and social engagement metrics to refine future campaigns.
Some cultures consider chocolate to be a type of candy while others consider candy an exclusive name for sweets such as hard candy. However, it’s quite a generic term and can be used to describe toffee, marshmallows, licorice, gummy worms and so many other tasty items. No matter how people like to define the term “candy” in their world, National Candy Month gives plenty of opportunity to enjoy and celebrate all of the aspects of sweet, sugary goodness for thirty whole days in the month of June!
While certainly there are some people that may celebrate candy all year long, June has the privilege of being the official National Candy Month. National Candy Month was first celebrated in 1974 and since then it has been an important part of the calendar for those sweets lovers.
No one seems entirely sure why or how June became National Candy Month but, when the title gives you license to enjoy as much guilt-free candy as you like*, who cares?! That’s not to say June is without relevant history: it was in June 1963 that US confectioner Hershey’s acquired Harry Burnett Reese’s business (yes, the original Reese of Peanut Butter Cup fame) and going back even further, it was in June 1904 that George Cadbury and his staff invented Dairy Milk in the UK.
But whatever the reason that June was dubbed National Candy Month, the National Confectioners Association (NCA) thought it would be a great idea to offer people a special opportunity to show appreciation for all of the delicious sweets that they enjoy.
Enjoy Some Candy
Obviously, the best way to go about celebrating National Candy Month is to buy or even make, some candy to enjoy personally as well as sharing it with others. Head on over to a large supermarket or a small convenience store and wander down that candy aisle. Perhaps this would be a fun time to pick up a number of nostalgic candies that have been missing since childhood. Go for some retro-style candies such as Boston Baked Beans, candy dots, a big Charleston Chew, a pack of Sixlets or some Fun Dip. Of course a classic Snickers bar, a bag of gummy bears or some M&Ms would certainly do fine for celebrating as well.
Check Out National Candy Month Online
The folks over at the National Confectioners Association have a web page that allows them to share a variety of different events, resources and articles that might provide information and inspiration about ways to celebrate National Candy Month.
Try Making Candy
Though candy making can be a complicated endeavor, this is a great time to perhaps try out some of those culinary skills in the kitchen! Perhaps start with something less complicated such as chocolate covered pecan caramel turtles or some simple peanut butter fudge. Those who feel more adventurous for National Candy Month might be interested in trying to make something on a higher skill level, such as salt water taffy, peanut brittle or Grandma’s divinity candy. Whatever kind of candy making adventures are had in the kitchen, be sure to share the spoils with friends, family or coworkers and remind them that it’s the month to celebrate all sweet things! * Please enjoy candy responsibly. Your dentist cares about your teeth and so do we.