ECRM

Did you know American shoppers buy candy more consistently than essential staples like toilet paper or toothpaste? 🤯 With an astounding 99.8% household pe*******on rate, candy remains an untouchable daily indulgence.

Despite inflation, economic anxiety, and spiking cocoa prices, consumer spending on confections just surged by an impressive $2.5 billion year-over-year. But how, where, and what consumers are buying is undergoing a massive shift.

ECRM recently sat down with Circana's Dan Sadler to unpack the 10 Confectionery Trends Retail Buyers and CPG Founders Can't Ignore.

Here is a sneak peek at what is reshaping the candy aisle:

📱 Gen Z is rewriting the CPG playbook: The traditional "shelf-first" distribution model is being replaced. Today’s winning brands are launching via creator content on TikTok Shop to build viral momentum before scaling into brick-and-mortar. (E-commerce holds just a 9% market share in candy but is driving an incredible 28% of total category growth!)

🔥 Experiential Eating is booming: Standard flavors are out. Consumers want sensory experiences—think "swicy" (sweet + spicy) profiles, freeze-dried crunch, foamy Swedish imports, and peelable gummies.

🍬 The Gummy Takeover: While high cocoa prices have led consumers to downsize their chocolate purchases (large chocolate bar units are down 7%), gummy candy maintains its status as the industry darling, posting steady unit and dollar growth for the 5th consecutive year.

💪 GLP-1s & Low Sugar: "No/Low Sugar" is the fastest-growing claim across every candy sub-category. However, industry fears of a GLP-1-induced candy collapse haven't materialized, as multi-member household sharing keeps purchasing habits steady.

Whether you're a retail buyer mapping out your next planogram or a CPG founder looking for product-market fit, these insights are essential for navigating today's operational climate.

👉 Read the full breakdown of all 10 trends (including SNAP waiver dynamics and the rise of 'Summerween') here:

10 Confectionery Trends Retail Buyers and CPG Founders Can’t Ignore Circana’s Dan Sadler shares the macroeconomic pressures and shifting consumer tastes transforming the category

Despite macroeconomic inflation and fluctuating cocoa prices driving double-digit shelf price increases for chocolate, the confection category continues to prove its resilience, according to Circana's Dan Sadler, who broke down the key data and trends shaping the future of sweets in his recent presentation at ECRM's Candy Planning: Everyday & Summer Seasonal Session.

In this interview with Joseph Tarnowski, Dan shares key takeaways from Circana's research on what's next for the candy category. Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTq-NT1mv7s

Key Market Metrics:

➡️ Candy maintains a 99.8% household pe*******on rate, placing it in more homes than consumer staples like toilet paper or toothpaste.
➡️ Consumers spent over $2.5 billion more on candy this year compared to last year, even with category unit sales softening by 2%.
➡️ Chocolate dollar sales grew over 7% while units fell over 3%, driven by a 7%+ drop in larger-sized chocolate bar units as consumers downsize purchases.
➡️ E-commerce holds a 9% share of total candy sales but generates 28% of the overall growth in the category.

Gen Z & Digital Commerce Drivers

➡️ Gen Z is heavily driving performance, increasing their spending on chocolate by 14% and non-chocolate candy by over 9%.
➡️ TikTok Shop has grown into a major sales channel, where non-chocolate candy currently ranks as the #1 snack category.
➡️ Product launches are shifting from traditional retail setups to social commerce demos, affiliate sampling, and direct customer feedback before expanding to physical store shelves.
➡️ Popular innovations highlight unique flavors and textures, including "swicy" (sour-spicy) options, Swedish sour candies, and cotton candy that turns into chewing gum.

Health Claims & Seasonal Strategies

➡️ "No or low sugar" leads as the top health and wellness claim across all candy categories, alongside notable growth in vegan and gluten-free claims.
➡️ Breath fresheners remain flat in unit sales year-over-year, potentially supported by GLP-1 users seeking remedies for dry mouth and bad breath.
➡️ Early promotional efforts like "Summerween" contributed to a 77% increase in August Halloween candy sales between 2022 and 2025.
➡️ Non-chocolate candy dominates Halloween sales due to lower costs, whereas Christmas sales remain 70% chocolate-driven.
➡️ In 2027, Valentine’s Day and the Super Bowl occur on the same day, and 70% of surveyed consumers report plans to celebrate both and combine their shopping.

NielsenIQ's Kaleigh Theriault shares the latest trends, challenges and opportunities in b**r, w**e, spirits, RTDs, THC beverages and NA beverages in this video interview with ECRM's Joseph Tarnowski! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H38wiWYNdsI

Kaleigh recently spoke at ECRM's On & Off Premise Adult Beverage Session, and during the interview, they dive into some of the key insights shared during her presentation.

Among the topics they discuss:

➡️ Overall performance of the segment
➡️ How the moderation trend varies among consumers
➡️ Impact of financial constraints on BevAl spending
➡️ NA & THC beverages
➡️ How to "win the occasion"
➡️ On premise & off premise dynamics

Kaleigh also gives recommendations for brands, retailers and foodservice operators on how to capitalize on todays trends!

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Congratulations to the 20 suppliers selected for Target Accelerator’s Pitch Day at Newtopia Now! 🎉 These standout brands will have the opportunity to participate in one-on-one meetings with Target and introduce their products directly to the team—we can’t wait to see what comes next!

RangeMe is proud to help create these meaningful connections between innovative suppliers and leading retailers.