TikTok can’t seem to get enough of the Walgreens Nice! brand Gummy Mango peelable candy. Content creators across the country are snatching up the $1.79 treat to peel, eat and review for their followers. The result? Sticky fingers, sugar-fueled smiles and millions of video views.
“Walgreens sold seven times more Gummy Mango candy than average last week because of the TikTok spike,” says Ellen Idler, Walgreens associate category manager for everyday candy. She also manages the Walgreens candy selection for Halloween and Valentine’s Day as well.
Idler and her colleague Auburn Sooter, the commercialization manager for Walgreens branded candy, beverages and perishables, worked together to bring this unique confection to stores. Nice! brand candy has always been more traditional, but to grow the brand, both women believed they had to experiment with innovation.
“We both thought, let’s shake things up a bit,” Sooter says.
@trinhdoesthings Peelable mango gummies 😋 #gummies #mango #candy #snack ♬ original sound - trinhdoesthings
When a Walgreens supplier brought them an assortment of gummies last year, it piqued their interests. Idler says gummy candies have seen an uptick in popularity since the pandemic, with national brands bringing tons of new offerings to the space, like Nerds Gummy Clusters. She and Sooter gravitated toward some pineapple gummies with a gooey burst of flavor inside and decided to pair it with the gummy mango peelable candy.
“Mango is kind of an obscure candy flavor, which is why we only put the peelable gummies in 2,500 stores,” Idler says.
“That was our test, and well, we’ve seen how it’s done!” Sooter added.
But why is this candy getting attention just now? Sooter and Idler think there are a couple of reasons. For one, the Nice! brand just went through a packaging refresh, and the orange and yellow bags really pop among the other Nice! brand products which are typically blue.
The candy is also affordable.
“We know inflation is affecting shopper behavior, so people are really looking for value,” Idler says.
“At $1.79, it's an easy investment to try it,” Sooter says.
Plus, most customers and TikTokers say the candy is delicious, with some adding that the juicy mango bite inside the peel tastes just like the real thing. And peeling the candy to get to that special bite is part of the fun, too.
“It’s just one of those really great bites, and it’s kind of amazing to see how many people are really gravitating toward the peel-ability of it,” Sooter says.
If you haven’t had a chance to try the trending treat yet, no need to worry. Idler and Sooter have been working nonstop to get more of both the mango and pineapple gummy candies in stock at Walgreens stores across the country. It’s only available in store, so be sure to check your local Walgreens for this sticky sweet treat soon -- perhaps an unexpected treat for your Big Game day spread this Sunday or for your Valentine.
