By Maggie Gioia | Marketing Coordinator
This past Valentine’s Day, General Mills released their new cereal flavored popcorn to convenience stores. The innovative, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Cocoa Puffs inspired snacks pack salty-sweet nostalgia into every crunchy bite.
Originally appearing in big-box retailers last July, the caramel-corn-esque line features Cinnamon Toast Crunch Popcorn with Cinnadust Glaze and Cocoa Puffs Popcorn with Cocoa Glaze, both of which are bursting with cinnamon-sugar and rich chocolate. The treats take on the flavors we have all come to know and love, ensuring that they will be a hit with c-store customers.
Though Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Cocoa Puffs already maintain a powerful presence in the cereal category — and more recently, the snack category with their highly successful cereal treat bars — General Mills’ popcorn is set to be yet another top-performing item for c-stores as the products unify the success of RTE popcorn and cereal.
“The pandemic has caused the snack category, and more specifically salty snacks, to see an increase in demand,” said Frank Talarico, Vice President of Sales for National Convenience Distributors. “Ready-to- eat popcorn is a perfect example of a product that has grown out of covid-snacking and the consumers’ desire for specialty items.”
In 2021, ready-to-eat popcorn added a whopping $1.7 billion to the multi-billion-dollar salty snack category. During that time, Nielsen found that the beloved Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Cocoa Puffs brands were outpacing RTE cereal growth, grossing a combined $517 million for General Mills.
“Because the Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Cocoa Puffs popcorns are sweet, salty and derive from such well-recognized brands, they’ve found a way to positively position themselves in this new market,” said Talarico.
General Mills’ brands have been vital to American households for over a century, and for many adults, consuming their products unlocks the memories of their favorite childhood foods. These cherished foods and flavors not only transport adult consumers back to simpler days, but they also offer an opportunity build a new tradition for their children to enjoy and share. General Mills’ cereal flavored popcorns are that opportunity. Marketable to adults and children alike, they are a c-store must-have.
