What Sour Patch Kids does

Sour Patch Kids is a confectionery brand line owned by Mondelez International (NASDAQ: MDLZ), manufacturing and marketing soft chewy sour gummy candies distinguished by a proprietary "sour then sweet" flavor profile and chewy texture. The core product is a fat-free, individually wrapped gummy sold in multiple pack sizes (240-count Big Soft & Chewy, 1 lb Family Size, Halloween 12-box, plus assorted fruit flavor variants). The brand has extended beyond its core gummy into adjacent CPG categories including limited-edition Sour Patch Kids Oreos, Watermelon flavor gummies, branded cereal, ice cream, energy drinks, and a certified vegan variant, often through co-branding with other Mondelez portfolio assets.

The brand operates a multi-channel distribution model anchored by Mondelez's global retail network across grocery, mass (Target, Walmart), and convenience channels, augmented by e-commerce listings and an official website that redirects to retailer pricing. A licensing-led growth vector was added in March 2026 via a deal with Swig to produce three limited-edition themed dirty sodas across more than 140 U.S. locations, extending the flavor profile into away-from-home beverage occasions. Marketing is event-driven and top-of-funnel heavy: a summer 2026 integrated soccer campaign features global sports figures (Christian Pulisic, Alex Morgan, Sophia Wilson) and music icon Pitbull, alongside a Score Snack Goals sweepstakes running through July 2026.

Commercially, Sour Patch Kids is a mass-market consumer brand targeting families and children, young adults/professionals, and event planners, with kosher certification on family-size SKUs and a vegan option to broaden accessibility. Pricing is set by retail partners, not the brand, and the website directs consumers to retailer price pages. The brand does not separately disclose revenue; financial performance is reported only at the Mondelez consolidated level. Brand operations are managed from Mondelez's U.S. headquarters in East Hanover, NJ, with a small brand-management headcount (11–50) reflecting its status as a portfolio line rather than a standalone operating company.

Name

Sour Patch Kids

Legal name

Sour Patch Kids

Website

https://thesourpatchkids.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sour Patch Kids is a Mondelez-owned confectionery brand that manufactures and sells soft chewy sour gummy candies with a signature "sour then sweet" flavor profile, serving mass-market families, young adults, and event planners through grocery, mass retail, and licensing partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

East Hanover

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Direct Candy Product Sales: Traditional CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) revenue model through retail distribution of branded candy products. Products sold as one-time purchase transactions at grocery stores, convenience stores, and mass retailers. Revenue generated from individual product units, family-size packages, and limited-edition releases.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sour Patch Kids manufactures and sells soft, chewy sour gummy candies with a proprietary "sour then sweet" flavor profile. The core line includes assorted fruit-flavored gummies in multiple package sizes (Big 240-count, Family Size 1 lb, Halloween 12-pack), complemented by flavor variants, a vegan option, and limited-edition extensions into cookies, cereal, ice cream, energy drinks, and beverages via brand collaborations. Products are sold through retail, online, and licensing channels.

Product overview

Sour Patch Kids is a candy brand under Mondelez International offering soft, chewy sour gummy treats with a signature 'sour then sweet' flavor profile. The core product line consists of the classic Soft & Chewy Candy available in various sizes (Big 240-count, Family Size 1lb, and Halloween 12-box pack). The brand extends its portfolio through innovative limited-edition collaborations including Sour Patch Kids Oreos, Watermelon, Cereal, Ice Cream, Energy Drink, and Vegan options. Recent partnerships have produced themed products like Swig's Dirty Sodas and participation in Mondelez's summer campaigns with new flavor variations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sour Patch Kids Oreos: Limited-edition cookies featuring the iconic Oreo crunch paired with the tangy sweetness of Sour Patch Kids filling.
• Sour Patch Kids Watermelon
• Sour Patch Kids Cereal
• Sour Patch Kids Vegan
• Sour Patch Kids Ice Cream
• Sour Patch Kids Energy Drink
• Sour Patch Kids Big Soft & Chewy Candy
• Sour Patch Kids Family Size Soft & Chewy Candy
• Sour Patch Kids Halloween Soft & Chewy Candy

Products and services

• Sour Patch Kids Big Soft & Chewy Candy

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Mondelez InternationalflagshipOthers · 15 April 2026Mondelez International is the parent company and owner of the Sour Patch Kids brand. The company launches integrated marketing campaigns featuring the brand alongside other portfolio products like RITZ and CHIPS AHOY!, including celebrity partnerships and sweepstakes promotions.
• Christian PulisiccoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 April 2026Soccer superstar Christian Pulisic is featured in Mondelez International's summer soccer campaign promoting limited-edition snack products including Sour Patch Kids. The campaign includes a 'Score Snack Goals' sweepstakes with prizes such as training sessions with athletes.
• Alex MorgancoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 April 2026Soccer star Alex Morgan participates in Mondelez International's summer soccer campaign alongside Christian Pulisic and Sophia Wilson. The campaign promotes limited-edition snack products and includes sweepstakes with athlete training experiences as prizes.
• Sophia WilsoncoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 April 2026Soccer star Sophia Wilson is featured in the integrated summer soccer campaign with Pitbull and other athletes. The campaign runs through July 2026 and promotes Sour Patch Kids alongside other Mondelez snack brands.
• PitbullcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 April 2026Global music icon Pitbull partners with Mondelez International for the summer soccer campaign, bringing music and entertainment elements to the brand activation promoting limited-edition snack products including Sour Patch Kids.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Life Savers Gummies: Life Savers Gummies competes in the gummy format with strong mainstream retail distribution through Mars Wrigley. It shares the same target demographic, occasion set, and shelf placement as Sour Patch Kids core gummies.
• Haribo: Haribo is the global gold-standard gummy candy brand (Gold-Bears, Happy Cola, Sour range). It is the most direct peer to Sour Patch Kids given shared gummy format, sour variants, and overlapping mass-market distribution.
• Sour Punch: Sour Punch is a sour rope and straw-focused brand with a dedicated sour candy identity. It is a direct competitor in the sour-only candy sub-segment that Sour Patch Kids anchors.
• Trolli: Trolli specializes in sour gummy worms and novelties with a sour-forward flavor profile. It directly competes with Sour Patch Kids on shelf positioning, sour taste experience, and target teen/young-adult occasions.
• Airheads: Airheads delivers a sour-to-sweet taffy-like candy experience across multiple formats. It competes for the same impulse-purchase and kid/family occasion budget as Sour Patch Kids with a similar bold flavor positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Skittles: Skittles (Mars Wrigley) is a fruit-forward chewy candy sharing the bold flavor positioning and youth/Gen Z target with Sour Patch Kids. As part of Mars Wrigley's portfolio, it competes with materially larger marketing and trade spend.
• Jolly Rancher: Jolly Rancher (Hershey) spans hard and chewy sour-forward candies and shares SPK's flavor-forward youth positioning. It is comparable as a multi-format, sour/sweet confection from a major CPG incumbent.
• Starburst: Starburst (Mars Wrigley) is a fruit chewy candy with established mass-market presence and similar everyday-shareable consumption occasions. It is comparable as a competing chewy fruit candy in the same shopper basket.

Emerging players

• SmartSweets: SmartSweets is a better-for-you gummy/candy brand targeting health-conscious consumers with low-sugar formulations. It competes for the same gummy candy occasions while pulling spend away from traditional sugar brands like Sour Patch Kids.

Others

• Swedish Fish: Swedish Fish is a fellow Mondelez International chewy candy brand. It is comparable as a sister brand within the same parent portfolio, sharing distribution, marketing infrastructure, and gummy-format manufacturing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sour Patch Kids