Fortunately innovation runs rampant in both confectionery and snacks, and new products this year are no exception. Where else would you find Air Delight Chocolate bars and Kisses, aerated milk chocolate offering a light and airy texture, compliments of Hershey Co.? Or a spectacular candy brand extension for Nestlé Confections via its frozen dairy Skinny Cow franchise? At 110-120 calories, Skinny Cow Dreamy Clusters, are bite-sized treats with crunchy crisps, drenched in creamy caramel and covered in milk chocolate or dark chocolate. Skinny Cow Heavenly Crisp candy bars are delicate wafers layered with either chocolate or peanut-butter filling and drenched in a chocolaty coating.

Mars Chocolate North America debuted Marathon Smart Stuff Bars. All four varieties have blueberries, cranberries and peanuts, plus they're fortified with a blend of eight essential vitamins and minerals for consumers seeking healthier alternatives. The bars meet the Alliance for a Healthier Generation Competitive Food Guidelines for Snacks.

And for those who seek the ultimate pleasure, there is the Wine Collection: luxurious chocolate bonbons filled with wine flavors, packaged in a wine shaped container and placed in a silky bag that includes a gift card from 2 Chicks with Chocolate.

And that's just in the chocolate category.

On the same floor you could sample LaPacos Alpaca Jerky and Alpaca Old World Sticks, a unique snack made with alpaca meat. And Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. launched www.MyExtraGum.com so consumers can upload photos and messages and personalize packs of Extra Sugar Free Gum for any occasion.

In this time of growing distrust in our politicians, how can one resist the first release of the educational The Presidential Series 1 from Pez? Scheduled for a November debut, the first boxed set highlights the accomplishments of the first eight presidents of the U.S. Their names will be printed on the stems and the dispensers will be bust-up designs of the president's heads. Educational information about each president will be included along with an insert sheet showing all of the sets in the series.

Relax, there are no plans for an Anthony Weiner Pez dispenser.

"Trends in confectionery and snacks for 2011 reflect the larger patterns seen across the food industry - Americans are more interested in what they are eating, and are looking for new flavors to satisfy increasingly complex palates," says Larry Graham, president of NCA. "Consumers look for value, exciting flavors and nutrition when seeking new sweets and snacks."

More value for the dollar and smaller portions were some of the major trends evident at the show, resulting in smaller packages and bite-sized treats to savor for longer. Other trends: fusing a variety of flavors together for a sweet/savory mouth pop; antioxidant fruit flavors; licorice, peanut butter, caramel, coconut, peach, banana, watermelon, chili, mint; simple ingredient labels; sea salt; all-natural; gluten free; vitamin-fortified, nutrient-enhanced and fiber-added; plus personalization and choice.

The overall sweets and snacks category was estimated by SymphonyIRI Group at $26 billion in 2010. Last year, 2,655 new confectionery products debuted -- 1,480 chocolate, 1,077 non-chocolate (sugar confectionery), and 98 gum selections, according to Datamonitor's Product Launch Analytics.

On the snack front, 3,805 products rolled out – 786 cookies, 550 cereal bars, 526 potato chips, 308 nuts and seeds, 259 crackers, 237 popcorn products and 1,139 other snacks (pretzels, tortilla chips, puffed snacks, fruit snacks, meat snacks, etc.).

Despite a lagging economy, confectionery posted a 3.6 percent gain in 2010 - outpacing overall growth of food sales in leading channels. Salty snacks experienced average growth with a 2 percent gain over previous-year sales. The cookie category eked out half a percent growth last year. Chocolate confectionery led sales in 2010, growth that is expected to continue through 2011 as new product launches remain strong and consumer interest in potential health benefits of dark chocolate grows.

New research (to be unveiled later this summer) by The NPD Group and The Futures Group for NCA found that consumers appreciate the unique role chocolate, candy, gum and other snacks play in their lives. Older Americans have a higher preference for dark chocolate; research indicates people over 45 consume more dark chocolate because it's perceived as healthier. In fact, the average American consumes chocolate confectionery about 107 times per year.

Other findings include: Daily gum chewers are 34 percent more likely to view sports activity as a major motivator in maintaining or improving their health; parents claim children who consume chocolate daily exercise nearly twice as often as children who eat chocolate weekly; gummy candy is 23 percent more likely to be consumed in the fall (driven by Halloween sales), while licorice consumption increases in the warmer, summer months based on its portability.

FlakeSelect uses Cargill's patent-pending compacting technology to blend salt and other ingredients. The compacting process applies pressure to the ingredients to create a clustered, thin flake that shows uniform consistency, low bulk density, high solubility and a large surface area.

The flake shows better adherence for topical applications, which include bakery products, salty snacks and seasoning blends for meat products, the company claimed.

What also attracted my attention was hearing the comment from exhibitors that grocery retailers were in the distinct minority on the show floor, overshadowed by drug and c-store operators. I guess that makes sense, seeing as how most of the products at the show were of the grab-and-go variety.

But I think traditional grocers may be missing an opportunity to boost the profile of their center store. And drug and c-stores aren't the only channels pulling folks away from traditional grocers. Ever check out the jerky section at Cabela's? Or Menards? The latter – the folksy Wisconsin-based home improvement retailer – has in recent years used its broad snack offerings as a stepping stone to expand its grocery department. It has become the store where you can pick up a water heater, a 4-by-8 sheet of plywood, a sack of mulch, a box of cereal, a loaf of bread and a gallon of milk all under the same roof.

And with center store products getting a bad rap compared to perimeter items in the wellness debate, grocers should be leveraging the convenience, portion control and better nutrition of the latest snack products in an effort to pull folks guiltlessly through the middle.

For example, the new Snickers Marathon bar is a healthier spin on the old candy bar favorite that's been approved for sale in school vending machines – perhaps a great addition to the kids' brown bags. The Planters Nut-trition line offers portion-controlled nut snacks tailored for specific nutritional profiles. Annie's Organics has launched pretzel bunnies in regular and honey wheat, and granola bars in three varieties. Sensible Portions now has Cinnamon Apple Straws, a nutritious snack for youngsters and a follow-up on the company's popular Veggie Straws. Emerald has unveiled Breakfast on the Go nut blends, a great choice at the front end for folks looking for a quick snack but something better than a candy bar.

Progressive grocers should make "cleaning up" center store one of their goals – it could be how you keep more folks from satisfying their snack cravings in other channels.

Jim Dudlicek is senior editor of Progressive Grocer.