Understanding Seasonal Demand for Wholesale Sweets

Holidays are great for confectioners – as long as they manage to time their purchases of wholesale sweets and chocolates just right. Being able to anticipate the big holidays like Christmas is easy enough, but what about other cultural, seasonal, religious and commemorative holidays through the rest of the year?Here's a brief list of some of the most important dates to stock up on wholesale sweets and chocolates that are just right for the occasion.1. Christmas – The Christian feast celebrating the birth of Jesus falls on the 25th of December. This is one of the biggest religious (and consumer) events in the business calendar. Expect stocks to sell out fast in the week leading up to Christmas itself, so place your orders in the tail end of October just to be safe. 2. Halloween – The 31st of October is a feast with Christian, Celtic and Pagan roots, dedicated to commemorating the dead. This is another major occasion where confections will be snapped up by the batch. It is sometimes an even bigger event for confectioners than Christmas, as it includes the widespread tradition of handing out candies to trick-or-treating youngsters. 3. New Year’s Eve – Naturally, this falls on the eve of the 31st of December, aka the run-up to the first day of the year on the Gregorian calendar. Gift-giving is not common, especially since Christmas has just wrapped up, although celebrations will still be in full swing and demand for sweets still high. It's a good idea to stock up on wholesale sweets and chocolates to carry business through the New Year’s revelries. 4. Chinese New Year – This is the traditional Chinese holiday marking the first day of the Chinese lunar calendar. China officially uses the Gregorian calendar to synch with the rest of the world, although the civil (aka Han) calendar is used for marking auspicious dates. Chinese New Year falls on the 19th of February in 2015 and the 8th of February in 2016. 5. Eid al-Fitr – This is a Muslim feast celebrating the end of Ramadan and the first day of Shawwal. Its exact timing is dictated by the Islamic calendar, which in turn relies on the first sighting of the crescent moon to mark the first day of each Islamic month. This falls on the 18th of July in 2015 and the 7th of July in 2016.6. Easter – A Christian feast celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon that occurs on or soonest after March 21. That falls on the 5th of April in 2015 and the 27th of March in 2016. Chocolates – especially chocolate eggs – sell well during this time. 7. Valentine’s Day – This unofficial 'holiday' falls on the 14th of February every year and is dedicated to romantic love - although it was originally a Christian liturgical commemoration for Saint Valentine. Stock up on plenty of chocolates for the lovers seeking to exchange tokens during this time. Are these all the dates and holidays where sweets sell out fast? Not by a long shot! They are just the most obvious ones where you need to ensure plenty you stock up sufficiently on wholesale sweets and chocolates. There are plenty of others to keep you busy!

Angelina Moufftard works for HF Chocolates, suppliers of high quality wholesale sweets to the retail trade and others who wish to purchase wholesale quantities of chocolate and confectionery. Renowned since 1957, we've sourced the best suppliers from France, Spain, Germany, Holland, Belgium, the USA and UK. Our great tasting and beautifully packaged products also represent excellent value for money.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.