Seasonal Sweet Shop Calendar: What to Stock and When
Timing is everything in confectionery retail. Stock the right products at the right time and you’ll maximise sales, reduce waste, and give customers a reason to keep coming back. Get it wrong and you’re left clearing shelves of Easter eggs in June or scrambling for Halloween stock in September.
This month-by-month calendar is designed for sweet shop owners, corner shop retailers, and anyone stocking confectionery for resale. It covers the key dates, what categories to focus on, when to place your orders, and how to use American candy and imported sweets to stand out from the competition. Bookmark this page and revisit it throughout the year — your shelves (and your margins) will thank you.
What to stock: Heart-shaped boxes and sharing bags are the obvious winners. Reese’s Peanut Butter Hearts and Hershey’s Kisses both come in Valentine’s packaging and sell well because the brands are recognisable and the price points work for casual gifting. Chocolate dominates this season, so make sure your chocolate category is well stocked. Consider creating a small “Gifts Under £5” or “Gifts Under £10” display near the till.
When to order: Place Valentine’s orders by mid-January at the latest. Seasonal lines sell out at wholesale level quickly, and you want stock on shelves by the last week of January.
Retailer tip: January is also a good time to introduce new arrivals and refresh your American candy display after the Christmas period. Customers returning with gift cards or January treat budgets are looking for something new.
What to stock: Easter is dominated by chocolate, but there’s a real opportunity to offer something different. American Easter candy — such as Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs, Hershey’s seasonal shapes, and Peeps — gives customers novelty they won’t find in the supermarket. Jelly Belly jelly beans are another strong seller at Easter and work well in pick and mix displays. Stock your chocolate range in depth and consider creating an Easter-themed end cap or window display.
When to order: Order Easter stock four to six weeks before the bank holiday. If Easter falls in mid-April, aim to have stock by late March. Seasonal American candy often has limited availability, so ordering early is essential.
Retailer tip: Don’t forget the post-Easter clearance window. Have a plan for any leftover seasonal stock — a marked-down basket near the door shifts it quickly and clears space for summer lines.
What to stock: This is the time to shift your mix towards lighter, fruitier products. Sour candy performs brilliantly in warmer months — Sour Patch Kids, Warheads, and Toxic Waste all see increased demand as the weather improves. Soft drinks become essential too — Arizona Iced Tea and Gatorade both pick up once temperatures rise. Start building your chilled drinks display if you haven’t already.
When to order: Increase soft drink orders from April onwards. For Father’s Day gifting, have stock ready by early June.
Retailer tip: If you haven’t set up an American candy section yet, late spring is a great time to do it. Footfall increases and customers are in a browsing mood. Start with 20–30 SKUs across candy, chocolate, and drinks.
What to stock: Bright, fun, shareable products dominate summer. Nerds, Airheads, and Sour Patch Kids are all strong performers with younger customers. Anything with bold packaging and pocket-friendly price points works well. Soft drinks hit their peak in summer — make sure you’re well stocked across cans and bottles. Freeze-dried candy and viral TikTok products also perform particularly well during the summer when younger customers are off school and active on social media.
When to order: Increase your core range orders from June. For a Fourth of July display, have your American-themed stock in place by late June. Summer holidays mean higher volume across the board, so order deeper than usual on your bestsellers.
Retailer tip: Create a “Summer Picks” or “Holiday Essentials” display near the entrance. Mix candy, drinks, and snacks together to encourage multi-item purchases. Bright, colourful American packaging does the selling for you.
What to stock: Smaller format, individually wrapped items sell well for the packed lunch market. Nerds mini boxes, Airheads singles, and fun-size chocolate bars are all strong choices. This is also a good month to introduce any new products or brands you’ve been eyeing — check the new items and just landed pages for inspiration.
When to order: Place orders in mid-August so stock arrives before the first week of September.
Retailer tip: September is a natural reset point. Audit your range, clear any slow movers, and refresh your shelf layout. Products that performed well in summer might slow down, and vice versa.
What to stock: American candy has a natural advantage at Halloween because the US practically invented the modern trick-or-treat tradition. Anything individually wrapped works for trick-or-treaters — Nerds, Airheads, Sour Patch Kids, and Reese’s miniatures are all ideal. For in-store displays, lean into the spooky theme: Toxic Waste with its hazard-drum packaging and Warheads both look the part without any extra effort. Sour and extreme flavour candy fits the Halloween mood perfectly. Don’t overlook grocery items either — American cereals and snacks themed for autumn sell well alongside confectionery.
When to order: Order Halloween stock no later than early September. Seasonal products and bulk packs move fast at wholesale level, and running out mid-October means lost sales you can’t recover.
Retailer tip: Create a dedicated Halloween display from 1 October. Use the bold American candy packaging as your visual anchor — it’s already bright, bold, and slightly over-the-top, which is exactly what Halloween displays need.
What to stock: Transition from Halloween into autumn comfort buys. Chocolate and Hershey’s products start building towards Christmas gifting. Sharing-size bags and theatre boxes work well as the evenings draw in and people are staying home more. Peanut butter chocolate (Reese’s) performs consistently well in the colder months.
When to order: Your Christmas stock orders should be placed in October. November is too late for the best availability on seasonal and limited-edition products. Bonfire Night stock can be ordered alongside your October Halloween order.
Retailer tip: If you sell online, plan a Black Friday or Cyber Monday promotion. Even a simple “Spend £50 get 10% off” offer can drive a spike in orders. Promote it on your social media channels in advance.
What to stock: Gift-ready products are essential. Hershey’s, Reese’s, and Nerds all produce seasonal and limited-edition Christmas packs that look great under the tree or in a stocking. Theatre boxes from brands like Nerds and Sour Patch Kids make affordable gifts. American candy hampers and gift sets — even if you assemble them yourself — can command premium prices. Stock your full candy, chocolate, and soft drinks ranges in depth.
When to order: Christmas stock should be ordered in October and topped up in November. Don’t wait until December — by then the best seasonal lines are gone and delivery schedules are stretched. Plan your top-up orders for the first week of December to cover the final push.
Retailer tip: Create a “Stocking Fillers” display with items under £3. American candy at the £1–£2 range is perfect for this. Position it near the till for impulse purchases. Also consider offering a pre-made American candy gift box — even a simple selection of five or six items in a branded bag can sell for £10–15 and takes minutes to assemble.
Rotate your displays. Don’t just swap stock — physically move your displays. Changing the location of your American candy section or seasonal feature catches the eye of regular customers who’ve stopped noticing what’s on the same shelf every week.
Use the quiet months wisely. January and September feel slow, but they’re ideal for auditing your range, clearing old stock, and planning ahead. Use these windows to browse the full range at Sweet and Glory and identify gaps in your offering.
Track what sells. Keep a simple record of what moves fastest during each season. After a year you’ll have your own data on what your customers actually buy, which is more valuable than any generic advice. Adjust your orders accordingly each year.
Don’t ignore non-seasonal staples. While seasonal peaks drive spikes, your core range is what pays the bills week in, week out. Brands like Nerds, Reese’s, Sour Patch Kids, and Hershey’s sell year-round. Never let seasonal displays eat into your core range space.
Last updated February 2026
Browse the full range | Open a trade account | Contact us
Follow us for new arrivals and seasonal updates: Instagram | TikTok | Facebook | X
This month-by-month calendar is designed for sweet shop owners, corner shop retailers, and anyone stocking confectionery for resale. It covers the key dates, what categories to focus on, when to place your orders, and how to use American candy and imported sweets to stand out from the competition. Bookmark this page and revisit it throughout the year — your shelves (and your margins) will thank you.
January & February: New Year and Valentine’s Day
The opportunity: January starts quietly, but Valentine’s Day (14 February) arrives fast. It’s one of the biggest gifting occasions for confectionery, and shoppers start browsing from late January.What to stock: Heart-shaped boxes and sharing bags are the obvious winners. Reese’s Peanut Butter Hearts and Hershey’s Kisses both come in Valentine’s packaging and sell well because the brands are recognisable and the price points work for casual gifting. Chocolate dominates this season, so make sure your chocolate category is well stocked. Consider creating a small “Gifts Under £5” or “Gifts Under £10” display near the till.
When to order: Place Valentine’s orders by mid-January at the latest. Seasonal lines sell out at wholesale level quickly, and you want stock on shelves by the last week of January.
Retailer tip: January is also a good time to introduce new arrivals and refresh your American candy display after the Christmas period. Customers returning with gift cards or January treat budgets are looking for something new.
March & April: Easter
The opportunity: Easter is the second-biggest confectionery sales period after Christmas. The date moves each year (between late March and late April), so plan accordingly. Shoppers start buying Easter treats two to three weeks before the bank holiday weekend.What to stock: Easter is dominated by chocolate, but there’s a real opportunity to offer something different. American Easter candy — such as Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs, Hershey’s seasonal shapes, and Peeps — gives customers novelty they won’t find in the supermarket. Jelly Belly jelly beans are another strong seller at Easter and work well in pick and mix displays. Stock your chocolate range in depth and consider creating an Easter-themed end cap or window display.
When to order: Order Easter stock four to six weeks before the bank holiday. If Easter falls in mid-April, aim to have stock by late March. Seasonal American candy often has limited availability, so ordering early is essential.
Retailer tip: Don’t forget the post-Easter clearance window. Have a plan for any leftover seasonal stock — a marked-down basket near the door shifts it quickly and clears space for summer lines.
May & June: Late Spring and Early Summer
The opportunity: There’s no single blockbuster event in this period, but bank holidays (early May and late May), half-term, and warming weather all drive footfall and impulse purchases. Father’s Day (third Sunday in June) is a smaller gifting occasion but still worth preparing for.What to stock: This is the time to shift your mix towards lighter, fruitier products. Sour candy performs brilliantly in warmer months — Sour Patch Kids, Warheads, and Toxic Waste all see increased demand as the weather improves. Soft drinks become essential too — Arizona Iced Tea and Gatorade both pick up once temperatures rise. Start building your chilled drinks display if you haven’t already.
When to order: Increase soft drink orders from April onwards. For Father’s Day gifting, have stock ready by early June.
Retailer tip: If you haven’t set up an American candy section yet, late spring is a great time to do it. Footfall increases and customers are in a browsing mood. Start with 20–30 SKUs across candy, chocolate, and drinks.
July & August: Summer Holidays and the Fourth of July
The opportunity: The six-week school holidays are prime time for confectionery sales. Families are out, kids have pocket money, and impulse buying peaks. The Fourth of July (4 July) might be an American holiday, but it’s become a popular promotional hook for shops stocking American products — run an “Independence Day” themed display and watch it fly.What to stock: Bright, fun, shareable products dominate summer. Nerds, Airheads, and Sour Patch Kids are all strong performers with younger customers. Anything with bold packaging and pocket-friendly price points works well. Soft drinks hit their peak in summer — make sure you’re well stocked across cans and bottles. Freeze-dried candy and viral TikTok products also perform particularly well during the summer when younger customers are off school and active on social media.
When to order: Increase your core range orders from June. For a Fourth of July display, have your American-themed stock in place by late June. Summer holidays mean higher volume across the board, so order deeper than usual on your bestsellers.
Retailer tip: Create a “Summer Picks” or “Holiday Essentials” display near the entrance. Mix candy, drinks, and snacks together to encourage multi-item purchases. Bright, colourful American packaging does the selling for you.
September: Back to School
The opportunity: Children returning to school creates two sales windows: parents buying treats for packed lunches and after-school snacks, and older students spending pocket money. It’s also a good time to reset your displays after the summer.What to stock: Smaller format, individually wrapped items sell well for the packed lunch market. Nerds mini boxes, Airheads singles, and fun-size chocolate bars are all strong choices. This is also a good month to introduce any new products or brands you’ve been eyeing — check the new items and just landed pages for inspiration.
When to order: Place orders in mid-August so stock arrives before the first week of September.
Retailer tip: September is a natural reset point. Audit your range, clear any slow movers, and refresh your shelf layout. Products that performed well in summer might slow down, and vice versa.
October: Halloween
The opportunity: Halloween (31 October) has grown into a massive confectionery event in the UK. Trick-or-treating drives enormous volume sales, and themed displays can run for the entire month.What to stock: American candy has a natural advantage at Halloween because the US practically invented the modern trick-or-treat tradition. Anything individually wrapped works for trick-or-treaters — Nerds, Airheads, Sour Patch Kids, and Reese’s miniatures are all ideal. For in-store displays, lean into the spooky theme: Toxic Waste with its hazard-drum packaging and Warheads both look the part without any extra effort. Sour and extreme flavour candy fits the Halloween mood perfectly. Don’t overlook grocery items either — American cereals and snacks themed for autumn sell well alongside confectionery.
When to order: Order Halloween stock no later than early September. Seasonal products and bulk packs move fast at wholesale level, and running out mid-October means lost sales you can’t recover.
Retailer tip: Create a dedicated Halloween display from 1 October. Use the bold American candy packaging as your visual anchor — it’s already bright, bold, and slightly over-the-top, which is exactly what Halloween displays need.
November: Bonfire Night and Black Friday
The opportunity: Bonfire Night (5 November) is a smaller event but still drives confectionery sales, particularly toffee, fudge, and sharing bags for fireworks gatherings. Black Friday (late November) increasingly drives online and in-store promotions.What to stock: Transition from Halloween into autumn comfort buys. Chocolate and Hershey’s products start building towards Christmas gifting. Sharing-size bags and theatre boxes work well as the evenings draw in and people are staying home more. Peanut butter chocolate (Reese’s) performs consistently well in the colder months.
When to order: Your Christmas stock orders should be placed in October. November is too late for the best availability on seasonal and limited-edition products. Bonfire Night stock can be ordered alongside your October Halloween order.
Retailer tip: If you sell online, plan a Black Friday or Cyber Monday promotion. Even a simple “Spend £50 get 10% off” offer can drive a spike in orders. Promote it on your social media channels in advance.
December: Christmas
The opportunity: Christmas is the biggest sales month for confectionery, full stop. Gifting, stocking fillers, party food, advent calendars, and general treat-buying all peak in December. If you’re going to over-stock on anything, this is the month.What to stock: Gift-ready products are essential. Hershey’s, Reese’s, and Nerds all produce seasonal and limited-edition Christmas packs that look great under the tree or in a stocking. Theatre boxes from brands like Nerds and Sour Patch Kids make affordable gifts. American candy hampers and gift sets — even if you assemble them yourself — can command premium prices. Stock your full candy, chocolate, and soft drinks ranges in depth.
When to order: Christmas stock should be ordered in October and topped up in November. Don’t wait until December — by then the best seasonal lines are gone and delivery schedules are stretched. Plan your top-up orders for the first week of December to cover the final push.
Retailer tip: Create a “Stocking Fillers” display with items under £3. American candy at the £1–£2 range is perfect for this. Position it near the till for impulse purchases. Also consider offering a pre-made American candy gift box — even a simple selection of five or six items in a branded bag can sell for £10–15 and takes minutes to assemble.
Planning Tips: Making Seasonal Stocking Work
Order early, not late. The single biggest mistake retailers make is ordering seasonal stock too close to the event. By the time you realise you need Halloween candy, the best wholesale availability is already gone. As a general rule, order four to six weeks before any seasonal peak.Rotate your displays. Don’t just swap stock — physically move your displays. Changing the location of your American candy section or seasonal feature catches the eye of regular customers who’ve stopped noticing what’s on the same shelf every week.
Use the quiet months wisely. January and September feel slow, but they’re ideal for auditing your range, clearing old stock, and planning ahead. Use these windows to browse the full range at Sweet and Glory and identify gaps in your offering.
Track what sells. Keep a simple record of what moves fastest during each season. After a year you’ll have your own data on what your customers actually buy, which is more valuable than any generic advice. Adjust your orders accordingly each year.
Don’t ignore non-seasonal staples. While seasonal peaks drive spikes, your core range is what pays the bills week in, week out. Brands like Nerds, Reese’s, Sour Patch Kids, and Hershey’s sell year-round. Never let seasonal displays eat into your core range space.
Stock Smarter with Sweet and Glory
At Sweet and Glory, we supply over 2,000 wholesale confectionery, chocolate, and soft drink products with no minimum order quantities and free delivery on orders over £600 + VAT. Whether you’re stocking up for Christmas or refreshing your summer range, we’re here to help.Last updated February 2026
Browse the full range | Open a trade account | Contact us
Follow us for new arrivals and seasonal updates: Instagram | TikTok | Facebook | X
