Sour is sweet business for Ferrara Candy

SHARE Sour is sweet business for Ferrara Candy
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Ferrara Candy has added flavors and updated packaging for its Red Hots and Now and Later candies. | Bill Ruminski/Sun-Times

Who says you can’t mess with the classics.

Ferrara Candy Co. says new flavors of its iconic Red Hots and Now and Later candies are a hit with customers.

The Oakbrook Terrace candymaker rolled out the new flavors and new packaging in the past few months.

The traditional cinnamon-flavored hard candies are now available in three new flavors:

• Kick’n Mango Lime combines mango, lime and habanero

• Sizzling Sour riffs on the traditional tamarind flavor by adding some tangy, sour hints

• Dark Chocolate Red Hots bring together dark chocolate with the traditional cinnamon Red Hots

Ferrara also added Now and Later Extreme Sour fruit chews, a super-sour taffy that comes in watermelon, apple and cherry flavors.

“Our new Red Hots and Now and Later offerings tap into consumers’ increasing interest in sour and intense flavors in a chewy format,” Jamie Mattikow, Ferrara’s chief commercial officer, said in a news release. “It’s important to adapt and change to stay relevant with today’s consumers.”

The company says sales of Red Hots are up 7 percent and sales of Now and Later are up 13 percent, while overall non-chocolate candy sales rose 4.4 percent.

Ferrara also has announced the launch of Trolli Sour Brite Weird Beards candy, a sour gummi inspired by basketball star James Harden’s beard. Trolli created a Crawlers for Ballers campaign that will put displays inside 7-Eleven stores featuring larger-than-life images of Harden’s face and beard. Trolli Sour Brite Weird Beards will be available through June 30.

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