Got CBD? Get gummies: The popular form factor offers a consumer-pleasing opportunity

Another possible consideration to think about is the target consumer as well as the downstream health concern. This is important for both brands and retailers keen on maintaining a diverse set of brands, applications and product formats. So while gummies might make more sense for a daily sleep gummy, a hemp CBD product aimed at relieving muscle aches and pains might be better suited as a topical cream or balm. 

Gummies, it bears mentioning, can be trickier to formulate than one might imagine. It is not always possible to formulate ingredients — especially ones with bitter notes — into gummies due to challenging flavor profiles. Other ingredients can affect the stability or consistency of the gummy matrix. 

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“Taste and texture are critical,” said Ola Lessard, chief marketing officer at pioneering brand HempFusion, which specializes in blending hemp CBD with other herbs and nutrients to address specific health concerns. “We worked really hard to get both of those things right as we developed both our regular CBD gummies and our CBD + Elderberry Immune Support gummies.”

Lessard said for brands to get it right, it requires close collaboration between R&D, marketing and the contract manufacturing team that specializes in gummies.

“If it is necessary to mask unpalatable flavors or adjust pH, it can take numerous iterations to get the formulation right,” Hitchman said. “In extreme cases, it may be necessary to run pilot production batches to confirm flavor and consistency of the final product.” 

A well-created gummy can deliver the necessary dosage along with a superb taste and texture that will delight shoppers. That bonus X factor in supplement intake — taste and flavor sensations — is no small thing. It’s always the No. 1 concern with foods and beverages, so it becomes equally important with taste-forward gummies. 

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“Is the person actually going to use this product as instructed to obtain the benefit? That’s where gummies come in,” Lessard said. “Let’s be honest: Grown-ups are really just big kids. Common sense tells us that we’re all more likely to take a supplement we actually enjoy, but the data also backs that up — gummies are far and away the No. 1 CBD format among consumers.” 

So in the end, if someone would rather take hemp CBD in gummy format because they enjoy it, then retailers should offer the best quality and most delicious gummy they can find. Unlike capsules and tablets, gummies offer retailers the power to sample the product themselves to see if the gummy really is as delicious as claimed. Your taste buds are asking you to get them involved in your selection process.