KANSAS CITY — ‘Tis the season for limited edition products, seasonal flavors and limited batch offerings. The holidays offer the right-size window for these limited-time offerings (L.T.O.s) to succeed, according to Mintel’s 2015 product innovation report, because offerings that won’t be around long instill a sense of urgency in the consumer.
L.T.O.s increasingly are being used to spark impulse purchases, according to Mintel. Twenty-two per cent of consumers agreed that seasonal products, such as pumpkin and peppermint, influenced their purchase. And that response is driving limited edition innovation in new product launches. Much of the flavor innovation in recent years — 8% of all launches in 2015 — has come from seasonal or limited-time offerings, Mintel found.
Many limited edition new products launched around this time of year are seasonal related. General Mills is introducing a seasonal cereal, Cinnamon Star Crunch, featuring sweetened corn puffs shaped like stars tucked into a Christmas stocking and wearing Santa hats on the front of the box. Kind Snacks L.L.C. is launching a limited batch holiday flavor Kind Bar: Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Spice. The Hershey Co. is adding a new limited edition flavor of baking chips to its portfolio: Hershey’s Kitchens Sea Salt Caramel Baking Chips.
“The creamy caramel chips have the perfect hint of sea salt to spice up holiday cookies or inspire new recipes from bakers,” Hershey said.
Click for a slideshow of new limited edition products.
