WALLED LAKE, Mich. — Days ahead of National Candy Day (Nov. 4), 14-year-old Alina Morse is again swimming in sweet success following a showstopping Halloween Season that ended with an appearance on Michael Strahan's GMA3: Strahan, Sara & Keke on ABC & a keynote speaking engagement at CVS Health Corporate Headquarters on October 31. The Freshman high-school student moved 5 million units of her various Zolli Candy lines to push her lifetime unit sales to 60 million ahead of the Holiday shopping season. Today she unveiled her 2019 holiday packaging, which now includes Hermey the Elf (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer) on her OG Zollipops® as well as a special-edition peppermint version of her pops.
"Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays and this was especially cool getting to keynote at CVS' headquarters and also appear on Michael Strahan's talk how," said Morse, who is on track to clear $10 million at retail by year's end, "I'm also super excited to unveil our new holiday packaging this season with the iconic Hermey the Elf to keep kids smiling!"
On the heels of becoming the youngest INC. Magazine INC. 5000 CEO for 2019 as one of the fastest growing private companies, with three-year revenue growth of 696%, Morse's company was announced by Amazon just before Halloween as the #1 online seller over the "Sugar-Free Hard Candy, Lollipops, Chewy & Taffy Category."
Her other retail partners have taken notice, as the TEENPreneur is on the forefront of a category providing growth for retailers, and healthier options for consumers. CVS Health, the #1 drug chain, had Morse speak to the entire executive team on Halloween, as the company is leaning into the healthy candy trend, and with supporting a young entrepreneur like Morse, they are taking a leadership role in innovation to help consumers tackle their issues with sugar. Companies like CVS are providing better options to support a healthy lifestyle to fight critical health risks.
- Over 100 million American's have diabetes or are pre-diabetic-that's 1 in 3 Americans who are suffering from some kind of issue with sugar. It's the only poison in nature that tastes good. CVS has traditionally been known for taking bold steps-they were the first major retailer to remove cigarettes from front end.
Data from IRI Worldwide shows that approx. 75% of the candy category growth is from outside of the three largest manufactures (Ferrero, Mars, Mondelez), and instead is coming from small and midsize companies like that of Morse's. So, it's no surprise she is outselling major brands including: Dum Dums, Blow Pops, Mentos, and Tic Tacs.
At age seven, while researching ways to create healthy candy she could have all the time, Morse invented Zollipops, the clean teen lollipops, and hit shelves in 2014 at age nine. Her Zolli Candy line (Zollipops, Zolli® Drops, Zaffi® Taffy, Zolli Caramelz, Zolli Gumeez, Zolli Beanz, Zolli Ball Pops) also donates 10 percent of profits to support oral health education & entrepreneurship in schools by giving 2-MM products through her "Million Smiles Initiative" to help fight America's most chronic childhood disease - tooth decay.
Now sold at over 25,000 retailers (including Target, Walmart, Walgreens, & Whole Foods), Morse is changing minds and candy eating patters. Last Month, the Advertising Week Conference welcomed her as their youngest ever keynote speaker (other speakers included Bethenny Frankel, Serena Williams & Gwyneth Paltrow). This Summer, she was named by SUCCESS Magazine to their annual ranking of the 30 entrepreneur's under 30 years of age for 2019. In early 2019, InStyle Magazine named her one of 50 Badass Women Changing the World alongside other trailblazers like First Lady Michelle Obama, who invited her to the White House twice as the exclusive candy for the annual Easter Egg Roll. She delivered a TED Talk, "Why I eat candy to avoid Cavities," and in 2018, was the youngest person ever on the cover of Entrepreneur Magazine: "Young Millionaires - Meet the next Generation of Leaders". Following the launch of her company in 2015, Forbes named her product as one of "Top 10 Emerging Food Trends" while PEOPLE Magazine named it as part of their "PEOPLE Great Ideas".
To learn more about the healthy, after-you-eat-treat®, visit: http://ZolliCandy.com
Want to see more local news ? Visit the FOX47News Website.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
Download our free app for Appleand Android
and
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox.
Select from these options: Breaking News, Severe Weather, School Closings, Daily Headlines and Daily Forecasts.
