Mallomars – Chocolate covered marshmallow treats manufactured entirely in Canada, although most Canadians have probably never heard of them. Sold exclusively in the United States, the brand presents an interesting selling concept similar to Cadbury’s Easter Mini Eggs: the treats are sold only from from September to March during the colder weather. Originally, such limited cookie sales were due to technology restrictions, with warm weather leaving consumers covered in melted chocolate. Yet now, even with new possibilities, the brand upholds its differentiation by keeping its selling dates unique and highly looked forward to.

Such a concept interests me, what could be the benefits of having these limited sale options compared to just keeping them on the shelves all year? How exactly is this profitably feasible for the company?

Using Porter’s Generic Strategy Table, at least part of these questions can be revealed. The product can be categorized by its uniqueness and narrow market into the focus strategy of differentiation. With this, it has the potential to be sold at a higher value because of an increased specific consumer desire as well as a better, more focused on product.

As well, an assumption could be made that they are produced in Canada but only sold in the U.S. because of smaller production costs and popularity. This directly benefits Canadians as there is greater opportunity for employment, but it would be interesting to figure out how they employ staff for extra production during the Mallomar season.

Unfortunately for us up north, our disadvantage is that if were lying on the beach mid summer craving one of these sticky treats, we will just have to settle for a Canadian Nanaimo bar instead.