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Despite the decline in the sales of sweets in 2024, the future of candy sales looks bright, experts say.
Sally Lyons Wyatt, the world’s vice president and senior adviser of Circana’s consumer goods and food service insights, is fun to eat, “Candy is a mental welfare option for many consumers.” Make us happy. If you eat moderately, candy can be a cheap joy producer. ”
However, this category still has a strong position in the United States, but in 2024, candy sales were $ 54 billion and are expected to cost $ 7 billion by 2029.2025 Treatment Report It has been hit by worrying consumers who have affected most retailers in the last few years and more than most retailers.
According to Circana, the total C-Store Candy sales in the year, which ended on February 23, decreased by 2.2% until February 23, while the unit sales decreased 5.9%. According to Lyons Wyatt, the tribe is due to the low traffic to the full sales and the C-Store.
According to the NCA report, the confectionery sales of all types of retailers decreased by 5% in 2024, which decreased by 5% of units, 3.3% for chocolate, 0.3% for non -chocolate, and 2.2% for gum.
Nick Snow, vice president of decision science and analysis at Dollar General’s decision -making and analysis at Circana Growth Summit in Orlando, said, “This is a difficult macro environment.
But SNOW pointed out that consumers are willing to treat themselves at a small cost like Candy Bar.
“People always use the additional candy bar in the front end.”
Candy can be a cheap luxury for many shoppers.
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Balance value with treatment
According to the NCA report, consumers are concerned about all grocery prices, but 98%of shoppers said they purchased confectionery at some point in 2024.
“Today’s innovation of chocolate and candy today will continue to meet for a long time even after the inflation is stable.”
Consumers are making difficult decisions to balance the budget, which includes disadvantages of many discretionary categories such as candy, Lyons Wyatt said. “In particular, there are several pockets of growth in non -chocolate,” she added.
According to Lyons Wyatt, the balancing budget is helping to grow with a private brand with candy of premium and super premium varieties. In all retailers, personal label candy sales declined last year, but the retailer showed small growth of novel non -chocolate candy, licorice, breathing, and seasonal chocolate Halloween and seasonal valentine days and Easter candy.
“Candy acts as a mental welfare option for many consumers because of its emotional connection.”
Sally Lyons Wyatt
Circana’s consumer goods and food service insight
Since 71%of consumers rank as the third purchase element of CANDY, transactions such as a two -to -one proposal can increase sales. In fact, 59%of consumers liked suggestions for candy, NCA said.
Lyons Wyatt pointed out that limited time proposals help to draw traffic, excite consumers, and increase the purchase fee.
Gumi sales, non -chocolate candy increases rapidly
In 2024, more than half of the sweets were led by chocolate, but non -chocolate candy increased 4.9%after a year. GUM and MINTS led to a 1.9%lift.
According to the NCA report, non -chocolate candy has increased almost $ 5 billion since 2019 and is expected to cost $ 27 billion, the NCA report said.
Consumers turn into non -chocolate candy for many reasons, including flavor, shape, crispy and crispy, texture such as WY, innovation and functional advantages of some varieties, Lyons Wyatt.
“They are fun to eat, offer empirical moments, and you can eat all day,” she said.
The NCA said last year’s popularity of candy candy, increasing non -chocolate sales, and almost 11%of the sales came from innovation.
Gindlesperger said, “This trend is led by generation Z and Millennium -generation consumers who report explores that love new, flavor mashup, other textures and flavor experiences.”
Gummy Candies is particularly popular in C-Stores, and has expanded major retailers like 7-Eleven over the past few years. BP’s narrative product line, It was released last yearThe Delish Candy and Snacks Line of Loop Neighborhood Market features a variety of regular and sour candy. It boasts a variety of Gumi products.
7-Eleven has been popular in other areas of this store with Slurpee based on Shaquille O’neal’s SOUR Gummies line.
In addition, more consumers are attracted to freezing -dried non -chocolate items, which “provides different textures,” Lyons Wyatt pointed out.
Lyons Wyatt said, “The rest of the 2025 has many headwinds for convenience channels, but as long as consumers have money for consumers, I think that non -chocolate will be one of the bright lights for store traffic and sales.
Retailers have a variety of sizes and types in the Candy corridor, so they must appeal to many other shoppers.
JESSICA LODER/C-Store Diving
Packaging change
According to the NCA, candy manufacturers offer a variety of pack size and partial options than in the past, and consumers respond.
Gindlesperger said, “Package -sized options and reproducible packaging are particularly important for S and Millennium -generation consumers, and preferences have a noticeable effect on confectionery.
While consumers have shifted from a single sub to multi -pack chocolate over the past few years, the trend is reversing as consumers pursue smaller multi -packs at lower prices, Lyons Wyatt said.
In addition to providing the correct assortment and package size, using the C-Store should be more convenient for customers to buy candy. Lyons Wyatt said that all types of retailers increased the sales of e -commerce candy, which increased 70% from 2021 to 2024.
“Convenience retailers must have a travel and/or delivery option to the store through their proposals or third parties.”
Functional ingredient growth due to GLP-1 popularity
According to Lyons Wyatt, more consumers are looking for better options in candy and wider snacks.
“We are looking for products that are looking for more ‘more’ materials of materials that are fueled and avoided to all generations, and they are looking for ‘more’ materials that are expected to avoid.
This is getting worse GLP-1 appetite inhibitors increase. About one of the six US people has one member who uses this drug. Jenna FreeSe, Numerator Strategic Director. teaHESE people “We are looking for more difficult foods such as protein, shakes, beef jerky, kombucha, fresh meals and right -sized foods.
As a result, low sugar, USDA organic, vegan vegetarian, high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweetener, natural flavor, sugar alcohol, synthetic color, plant -based and free biotick fibers work well.
Nevertheless, it is still a niche. NCA said that only 10%of respondents often buy such items.
