Bear is revolutionizing the kids’ fruit snacking category with innovative new launches designed to meet the rising demand for bold and adventurous flavors. The latest entry, Mango & Sour Berry, enhances the Bear Fruit Splits lineup, which is valued at £4.2 million (IRI Scantrack, Total Market – Total Bear Fruit Splits. 52 weeks ending 25/01/25, value sales). This expansion brings the total number of offerings to three, specifically crafted for older children aged 6-10.
As with the entire range, the new product features real fruit, counts as one of your five-a-day, is high in fiber, and contains no added sugars. Moreover, it provides a fun, interactive snacking experience, allowing kids to peel, twist, and squish the fruity sticks together, thereby making healthy snacking exciting.
Each pack also includes a collectible Super Science Bear Card—an exciting addition to the beloved Bear cards that kids already cherish. Young customers can swap and share their cards with peers, adding a playful twist to snack time. Additionally, they can collect and store their cards on the Bear Adventure App, enhancing their engagement with the brand.
Bear Fruit Splits Mango & Sour Berry builds on the success of Bear’s Sour Extreme Yoyos, which achieved a remarkable +10% year-on-year volume growth (IRI Scantrack, Total Market – Total BEAR Sour Extreme. 52 weeks ending 25/01/25, volume sales). This success underscores the high demand for sour flavors in kids’ fruit snacking. In support of this launch, Bear is implementing a comprehensive marketing campaign that includes social media activations and targeted advertising to increase brand awareness and consumer engagement.
“Building on the success of our Fruit Splits range, including fan favorites like Strawberry & Apple and Raspberry & Pineapple, the new Mango & Sour Berry variant delivers a bold, tangy burst of flavor that’s sure to grab the attention of older kids,” says Jo Agnew, marketing director at Natural Foods UK.
“Demand for sour flavors is surging, especially among ‘grown-up’ kids, driving growth across the confectionery sector in the UK and beyond. We’re excited to bring this trend into the fruit snacking category with Bear Fruit Splits Mango & Sour Berry, providing kids with an enjoyable flavor they can genuinely feel good about eating.”
“As kids’ palates evolve, sour flavors balance novelty, experimentation, and sensory appeal. This product is ideal for keeping older kids engaged in the category for longer, giving retailers the opportunity to drive growth in this dynamic sector.”
The launch of Fruit Splits Mango & Sour Berry aligns with Bear’s ongoing commitment to innovate through flavors and formats, unlocking new opportunities for retailers to boost category sales. After the outstanding success of the Bear Yoyos range, which represents 70% of the brand’s total sales, Bear is also introducing a new Grab Bag Yoyo format for its best-selling Strawberry variant. This initiative meets the increasing demand for convenient, on-the-go nutritious snacks.
The Grab Bag packs contain 12 individually wrapped Yoyos in premium, easy-to-tear Doypack packaging. Building on the popularity of multipacks and family packs, this new format provides a practical healthy snacking solution for busy families, helping parents keep their cupboards stocked while broadening Bear Yoyos’ appeal across more occasions.
Agnew adds: “Whether it’s for travel, children’s parties, or family outings, the new format ensures kids can enjoy and share nutritious, fun snacks anytime and anywhere. Each pack also features a new mini Bear card with a QR code, offering cubs a puzzle to solve on the Bear Adventure app.”
Bear Fruit Splits Mango & Sour Berry and Strawberry Yoyo Grab Bags (12 x 10g) are available in Waitrose stores nationwide, with an RRP of £3.50. Furthermore, Fruit Splits Mango & Sour Berry will roll out in Sainsbury’s starting March 2025, with an RRP of £2.85.