Sweden’s most famous candy car just rolled into American stores.
On September 17, Cloetta announced that Ahlgrens bilar, the little foam cars Swedes have eaten since 1953, is launching in the US, exclusively at Target. Stores nationwide, plus Target.com.
This is the biggest Swedish candy retail moment in the US so far. The TikTok wave made Swedish candy a thing over here; a national Target exclusive makes it a grocery aisle thing. Here’s the full rundown.
Four varieties are launching in the US
Target starts with four bags: Original, Sour, Fruity Duo (raspberry, lemon, tutti-frutti), and Sour & Fruity (raspberry, pineapple, peach).
Start with Original if you’ve never had them. Cloetta calls it Sweden’s most sold candy bag, full stop, and the flavor is, in their words, “a famously well-kept secret.” Swedes have argued about what it actually tastes like for decades. It’s not marshmallow, not quite fruit. You’ll have to try it yourself.
We already list Ahlgrens Bilar Original from US online stores, so you can compare prices before the Target rollout reaches your neighborhood.
More of a sour person? The Sour cars are the same shape with a sour sugar coating, and our sour candy section has the full Swedish sour lineup to browse.
What exactly is Ahlgrens bilar?
A soft foam candy shaped like a tiny car. Born in 1953, when a marshmallow experiment at the Ahlgren factory went sideways. Sweden never looked back. The nickname is “Sweden’s most bought car,” and roughly 2.6 billion of them sell every year. Read the full story of Ahlgrens Bilar.
It’s the kind of brand that ends up in strange places. In 2009, Swedish astronaut Christer Fuglesang took a bag to the International Space Station. Not many candies have been to space.
Cloetta, the company behind it, has made candy since 1862 and sells in more than 60 countries. Ahlgrens bilar was always its most Swedish brand. Until now.
Why Target, and why now?
Cloetta has been moving on the US for a while. Earlier in September they announced a nationwide supplier deal with Target, more than 2,000 stores, as part of a three-year plan to push Swedish brands across North America. Before that came a CandyKing pick & mix shop in New York’s West Village and a pick & mix pilot with DeCicco’s.
Cloetta’s Niklas Truedsson called the Target exclusive “an important step in our ongoing U.S. expansion.” Corporate speak, but fair. This is the step that takes Swedish candy from TikTok hauls to the weekly shopping trip.
Why this launch matters
A national exclusive changes the math for the whole category. Until now, Swedish candy in America meant specialty online stores and candy shops. A brand with this kind of recognition going mass retail drags the entire shelf with it. If Bilar sells at Target, expect the rest of Cloetta’s portfolio, and its competitors, to follow.
Where to find it
Target stores nationwide and Target.com, rolling out through the fall. It’s a proper exclusive, so don’t expect these four bags at other national chains.
Rather order from a candy store? We list Ahlgrens Bilar Original, Ahlgrens Bilar Licorice Tires, and Ahlgrens Bilar Salty Licorice from US shops, compare live prices here. Licorice fan? Our licorice section has the whole range.
Ahlgrens Bilar Original
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Editor’s note: This is a developing story. We’ll update this post as the Target rollout continues.