As a category that thrives on its impulse appeal and constantly delighting shoppers, it’s no surprise that confectionery was the home of many of the most successful innovations of 2010.

Each of the best perforning launches of the year in this category introduced something new, despite the fact that the majority were variations based on the heritage of an already well-known and established brand.

Light and indulgent products were particularly to the fore in the confectionery sector during the course of last year, so we can expect to see more of the lighter, lower calorie and smaller bite products in the future.

Milkybar Raisin & Biscuit

Milkybar for adults was a significant launch for Nestlé last year, and the Raisin & Biscuit line didn't disappoint.

Although it has been perceived as a children's brand, 60% of Milkybar singles purchases are by adults for their own consumption, claims Nestlé. With this in mind, it targeted the 'kidult' 25-34 age group and backed the launch with a massive £7m ad spend featuring adults dressed as the Milkybar Kid.|

Twix Fino

A lighter version of Twix was perhaps long overdue, with wafer replacing the traditional biscuit for a product that was intended to be more female-friendly than the classic snack bar, with only two-thirds of the calories of the original. The convenience sector also had the brand to itself in 2010 with the rollout to major supermarkets not taking place until this year.

Werther's Original Chocolates

Launched in January 2010 by Storck UK, Werther's Original Chocolates has already delivered £10.2m in value to the chocolate hanging bag category (Nielsen Scantrak), with more than £6m of this incremental from shoppers adding Werther's to their hanging bag repertoire and shoppers who are completely new to the category (Kantar Worldpanel).

Since 2009 the Werther's Original brand has grown significantly and is now worth £27.6m, with the Chocolate range helping to boost overall brand value by 56% (Nielsen Scantrak).

At launch, the range of 125g bags of individually wrapped chocolates included milk chocolate, dark chocolate and caramel-filled sweets. The range was extended in July 2010 to include a fourth variety Caramelts and the company is planning a new impulse offer for 2011. The Werther's Original Brand will be supported by a £5m TV campaign in 2011.

Starburst Tongue Tangles

Literally oozing with appeal, Wrigley's Starburst Tongue Tangles were launched in May. Available in stick packs and 135g bags, the sweets with sour liquid centres were introduced in a mix of three flavours: banana & mango; apricot & cherry; and blueberry & lemon.

Galaxy Bubbles

The latest in a whole portfolio of brand extensions, Bubbles put some more air into Mars' Galaxy megabrand. Backed by a £2.5m marketing spend, the Bubbles launch was described at the time as Galaxy's biggest launch to date. The aerated countline bars were launched in mid-February and made it comfortably into our list of most successful launches.

Cadbury Bliss Bar

Described in the advertising as the 'world's most pampered bar of chocolate', Bliss was all about softness, from its gently rounded edges to its vanilla mousse centre. Aimed particularly at women with its promise of pampering and spa breaks, the new bar successfully provided a little bit of indulgence in the middle of a busy day.

Read more
Top launches 2010: The breakthrough bunch
Top launches 2010: Drinks
Top launches 2010: Grocery and snacks
Top launches 2010: The rest