Growth in the UK confectionery sector is primarily driven by rising retail prices and a strong consumer shift toward premiumisation rather than people buying larger quantities.
Consumers pay more for luxury, high-cocoa, and craft sweets. Shoppers use premium items for everyday comfort and affordable luxury.
Luxury lines help brands protect profits despite cost pressures. Global cocoa and sugar price spikes forced retail prices up.
The total market value is growing even though physical sales quantities remain flat. Limited editions and novel inclusions maintain buyer engagement.
Vitamin-infused or sugar-free functional gummies attract health-conscious buyers.
Vegan and ethical sweets capture younger urban demographics.
The total UK Confectionery and Chocolate Biscuit Bar market is currently valued at £9.92bn annually, +6.0% YoY (Circana). Driven by the classic “lipstick effect”, where consumers seek small, affordable indulgences during economic uncertainty, growth is further boosted by at-home socialising and demand for trend-led flavours like cookie, coffee, and salted caramel, +20% YoY (Circana).
As the market leader worth £338m annually (Circana), KitKat® is outperforming the category at +11.4% YoY (Circana) and expanding its market share (Circana).
“With wholesale and convenience crucial for delivering on our partnership ambition to bring F1® to fans beyond the racetrack and recruit new consumers to our brand, we’ve had laser focus on bringing our campaign to life in 26 wholesale depots across the UK through eye-catching point of sale,” explains Emma Shannon, Shopper Activation Lead at Nestlé Confectionery. High-impact activations drove a +40% increase in volume and distribution on core KitKat® SKUs in participating depots.
Innovations in formats and flavours continue to recruit shoppers. KitKat® entered the sharing segment in 2025 with sharing bars supported by an immersive Blockbuster-themed pop-up experience. The platform brought 700,000 new shoppers to the brand, contributing to a £23.1m platform value (Circana) and driving 10.5% growth across general sharing formats (Circana). In 2026, KitKat® expanded its lineup with Cookie Dough variants (Circana).
To help retailers maximise sales, Nestlé outlines key “Perfect Store” principles. “Prompt and inspire your customers to take more breaks by having Confectionery available to buy against every break mission, not just your core Confectionery space,” Shannon advises. “Site single bars and treats alongside your News & Magazines fixture and Hot Drinks to Go, too.” Finally, balancing space equally between sharing and single formats helps time-poor shoppers navigate options quickly. “43% of all confectionery purchases are bought on impulse,” notes Shannon. “Use our custom Point of Sale kits to grab attention in store.” Following these principles via Nestlé’s trade portal can yield up to 20% higher confectionery sales.
Confectionery remains a high-value impulse category across everyday snacking, sharing, and seasonal occasions. To drive growth, wholesalers and retailers must balance core bestsellers with new product development (NPD). “The key is to balance proven bestsellers with NPD that gives shoppers a reason to engage with the fixture,” highlights Susan Nash, Trade Communications Manager at Mondelez International. Research shows that 72% of retailers believe NPD generates incremental sales (Mondelez), while social media and advertising influence consumer demand (Mondelez).
Addressing diverse shopper missions is critical. Chocolate functions as a routine treat, with 49% of UK adults consuming it multiple times per week (Mintel), and 46% eating it during social gatherings (Mintel). In response to the £5.7bn food-to-go category (Lumina), Cadbury, the UK’s top chocolate brand (NielsenIQ), introduced its 56g Cadbury Dairy Milk Grab & Go range. “For retailers, positioning Grab & Go products in high-footfall locations and alongside complementary food-to-go lines can help capture shoppers looking for convenient treats throughout the day,” advises Nash.
Sugar confectionery also offers strong growth through bold flavours. Sour Patch Kids reported +24% YoY growth (Nielsen IQ), led by Sour Patch Kids Blue Raspberry, the second-largest candy launch of 2025 (Nielsen), alongside new variants like Paradise Twist and Peach.
Seasonality remains crucial, with 72% of retailers rating seasonal sales as essential and identifying Christmas as the top peak (Mondelez). Mondelez is expanding its festive portfolio with Cadbury Biscoff Filled Centres, Cadbury Dairy Milk Smash Baubles, and returning favourites like Cadbury Dairy Milk Coins, the top gifting novelty SKU in 2025 (NIQ). “Christmas is a season-long opportunity where wholesalers and retailers can generate excitement, encourage impulse purchases and drive incremental category growth,” Nash concludes.
Despite economic pressures, the UK confectionery sector demonstrated strong resilience in 2025, delivering value sales growth of +6.6%—outperforming total packaged snacking (+4.6%, NIQ). Mars Wrigley outstripped category performance with value sales up +7.8% and unit growth up +2.8% (NIQ). Driving this growth is a distinct market polarisation across formats and price points.
“What has changed is how hard perceived value now has to work at every tier,” explains Matt Boulter, Mars Wrigley UK&I Sales Director. “The cost of raw materials and operations continues to rise, and pricing has moved with it, so shoppers are paying much closer attention to what they get for their money.” Consequently, growth is concentrated at the extremes: smaller formats appeal to budget-conscious treats, while large value packs (like 1kg M&M’S® bags) offer a high piece count.
As the fastest-growing manufacturer in singles and small sharing in 2025 (NielsenIQ), Mars Wrigley continues to leverage strategic flavour innovations. Novelties like M&M’S® Cookie Dough have achieved 4.3% penetration (Kantar), over 4.4 million unit sales (NielsenIQ), and a 28% repeat rate (Kantar). Additional launches include TWIX® Hazelnut, a brand growing at 9% MAT (Nielsen), and bakery-inspired GALAXY® More to Share bars. Boulter notes, “Providing consumers with value has never been more critical and with household budgets under continued pressure, we’re seeing polarisation: consumers trading up on premium treats whilst simultaneously seeking everyday value in core ranges such as confectionery.”
To capitalise on these trends, Mars Wrigley collaborates with wholesalers via insight-led planograms, channel-tailored formats, and in-depot activations. “Different formats within familiar brands give shoppers multiple options for different occasions and need states,” Boulter concludes, highlighting that aligning trusted core lines with targeted NPD drives long-term, sustainable category growth.
As one of the top five impulse purchase categories in convenience stores (Lumina), sugar confectionery remains a resilient and affordable treat in today’s economic landscape. Perfetti Van Melle (PVM) continues to capitalise on this demand through strategic price-marked packs, exciting product formats, and brand innovations.
Valued at £17.7m (+14% YoY, Circana), the Chupa Chups brand expanded into jellies with Chupa Chups Bites and Tubes in £1.25 PMPs to target teens seeking affordable, sour fruity treats.
Mentos is now a £47.1m brand (+14% YoY, Circana), supported by the launch of Mentos Discovery, a 14-flavour single roll tapping into the £71m hard chews market and demand for exotic tastes (Innova & Mintel). “The impact it has made on our portfolio is very encouraging and just shows the value that a totally unique product is able to deliver,” notes Mark Roberts, Marketing & Trade Marketing Director at Perfetti Van Melle. The launch contributed to Mentos singles growing to £18.6m (+22%), with Discovery accounting for £2.4m (Circana).
A top-ten candy brand worth £38.3m, Fruit-tella transitioned its core chews to a 100% vegan recipe. “We are delighted that those who favour a plant-based diet can now join in the fruity fun too,” says Roberts. “We have worked hard to perfect a vegan recipe that replicates the taste and texture of our beloved chews.”
Reaching £21.3m, Smint leads the UK sugar-free mint category with a 36% market share (IRI).
“As we continue into a challenging economic landscape, confectionery remains an affordable treat giving retailers a compelling sales generator,” Roberts concludes, emphasising that clear signposting and novel flavour/texture choices drive strong impulse purchases.
Sugar confectionery is a crucial driver for the UK Convenience and Impulse (C&I) sector, representing over £600M in convenience sales and acting as the second biggest footfall driver into stores (Lumina Intelligence). Valued for its resilience, 61% of sweet consumers purchase them at least weekly (Giraffe Insights).
HARIBO leads the market as the top sweets brand in Convenience (Circana), enjoying 98% brand awareness (Giraffe Insights). According to Duncan Tyrrell, Head of Category at HARIBO: “We are focused on growing the category as a whole and our portfolio appeal, with a range of products that deliver against all treats and sweets occasions.”
Innovation continues to unlock growth. Bold, tangy flavour profiles and social media trends attract new audiences. For instance, HARIBO’s Rainbow Strips Zing saw a 41.5% value growth (Circana), while Tangfastics holds the highest rate of sale in Symbols & Independents (S&I) (Circana). Tyrrell notes: “Consumers are increasingly drawn to more extreme, non-traditional flavour profiles, and novelty formats are actively pulling new audiences into confectionery.”
Alongside bold innovations, ‘new-stalgia’ is reshaping the fixture as shoppers seek modern twists on familiar classics. HARIBO tapped into this with its Nostalgix range, the category’s biggest launch in 2025 (Circana), followed by Rhubarb & Custard rolls in 2026. Tyrrell highlights this shift:
“We’re seeing a real appetite for ‘new-stalgia’ in confectionery, where shoppers want the joy and familiarity of the sweets they grew up with but reimagined to deliver something new and interesting.”
In an inflation-wary market, sweets offer an affordable, high-quality treat (74% of shoppers agree, Giraffe Insights). Share bags dominate S&I sales at £274.6M (Circana), led by HARIBO’s “Core Seven” packs, which account for nearly 20% of share bag sales in the channel (Circana). To maximise impulse purchases, given 51% of buying decisions occur in-store (Giraffe Insights), retailers should stock a mix of core bestsellers and novelties, offer Price-Marked Packs (PMPs), and maintain high display visibility.
Sour and fruity taste profiles continue to dominate sugar confectionery innovation, with growing demand for vegan and lower-sugar options. As the number one sugar confectionery brand, Swizzels relies on top-performing lines like Squashies, which includes HFSS-compliant variants like Squashies Sour Shooting Stars, and popular variety bags such as Sweet Shop Favourites and Scrumptious Sweets to capture impulse purchases and diverse shopper missions.
Value for money remains a central driver for consumers, making Price-Marked Packs (PMPs) essential for building shopper trust. To capitalise on this, Swizzels introduced Atomix, a new £1 PMP range of colourful chews that reimagines retro favourites Refreshers and Rainbow Drops.
“Atomix is an exciting new launch for Swizzels, bringing together the nostalgia shoppers love with a bold, modern format that feels fresh and fun,” explains Clare Newton, Trade & Shopper Marketing Manager at Swizzels. “The high-impact packaging and affordable price point help to support wholesalers in catching retailer attention and encouraging trial and repeat purchase.”
To maximise category performance, Newton stresses that wholesalers must balance reliable core ranges with trend-led NPD:
“To maximise sales, wholesalers should balance stocking best-selling, well-known brands with NPD and trend-led innovations. A strong core range appeals to retailers stocking up on products they know shoppers recognise and consistently purchase, whilst NPD is key for keeping seasonal offerings exciting and supporting retailers in catering to evolving preferences.”
Newton also emphasises the strategic value of clear pricing formats across all retail environments: “Wholesalers should ensure they stock a diverse range of PMPs within their confectionery offering, enabling retailers to build trust with shoppers and convey value for money.”
Swizzels supports these ranges with a national digital out-of-home campaign for Atomix, a new TV campaign titled ‘See the Squashies Side of Life’, and an on-pack partnership with Day Out With The Kids across its variety bags.
To capture shoppers’ attention in an evolving market, retailers must strike a balance between affordability, familiar brands, and novelty. “Retailers need a balance of value, trusted favourites and newness,” explains Kathryn Hague, Group Head of Marketing at World of Sweets. “Price remains important, but shoppers also want products that give them a reason to choose – whether that is a recognised licence, a new flavour, novelty or interaction.”
World of Sweets is expanding its NPD pipeline with high-profile releases, including The Traitors licensed range, new Gumi Yum sharing bags, and an array of seasonal items for Halloween and Christmas. Christmas launches focus heavily on accessible value, featuring Candy Realms £1 Jelly Candy Canes alongside novelty offerings like Elves Behavin’ Badly 5D Peelable Gummies.
In addition to seasonal spikes, Pick & Mix remains a central growth area for driving in-store engagement. “The extensive Kingsway range allows retailers to combine established favourites with sour, fizzy, gummy and novelty lines, while creating theatre and choice in-store,” says Hague.
Cultural trends and dietary inclusivity are also reshaping range planning. Hague notes growing interest in Japanese and Korean confectionery due to their unusual textures and flavours, while stressing that “Halal confectionery is an important part of a broad and inclusive range alongside vegan and vegetarian options.”
To capitalise on these opportunities, wholesalers and retailers should protect core bestsellers while leaving room for emerging trends, licences, and seasonal novelties. “Make the category easy to shop, but keep giving retailers something new to discover,” advises Hague, highlighting that clear secondary displays and strong POS support are essential for driving impulse purchases beyond the main aisle.
The UK confectionery market remains highly resilient, growing +6.4% in value to reach £9.9bn (Circana), with 46% of consumers gravitating toward preferred, trusted brands (National Confectioners Association). Driven by demand for accessible treats amid cost-of-living pressures (Kantar), growth spans both the £2.2bn (+2.4%) sugar category (Circana) and the £7.3bn (+7.9%) chocolate category (Circana).
Werther’s Original, the UK’s No. 1 traditional sugar brand, is worth £35.7m (IRI), with 96% brand awareness (GIM). Its Non-HFSS Sugar Free range holds a £5.7m value and 34% share of the sugar-free sector (Circana), allowing flexible merchandising throughout stores.
Valued at £16.0m, Toffifee ranks among the top 10 best-selling boxed chocolates (Circana), benefiting from a +5.2% lift in gifting and sharing chocolate formats (Circana).
Leading the dark chocolate toffee segment (Circana), Riesen is worth £5.9m (Circana) and recorded double-digit growth leading into Christmas (+32.6% value, +50.4% volume, Circana).
Highlighting the strategy behind these results, Rebecca Robert, Marketing Director at Storck, notes: “Even amid cost-of-living pressures, shoppers are still actively seeking out affordable ‘small treats’ that deliver moments of comfort and enjoyment.”
Robert emphasises that success depends on going beyond seasonal peaks to capture everyday impulse buys: “Confectionery is not solely driven by seasonal peaks. It remains a dynamic, opportunity-led category all-year round, underpinned by everyday treat occasions, impulse purchases and social sharing occasions.”
To maximise sales, Storck recommends building a balanced range, merchandising by shopper mission (such as grouping ‘Big Night In’ items together), using clear signage, and placing Non-HFSS products in high-footfall impulse locations.
Bazooka Candy Brands is expanding its line-up with the launch of Juicy Drop Chew Dipperz, bringing its interactive sweet-and-sour dipping concept into the chew category for the first time. Building on the momentum of the brand’s top-selling Gummy Dipperz SKU, the new release aims to drive further growth for Juicy Drop, which stands as the UK’s number-one kids’ sugar confectionery brand by value, generating over £14 million in annual retail sales.
Launching in the UK at an RRP of £1.49, each 65g pack features seven individually wrapped fruit-flavoured chew sticks packaged in a convenient cardboard wallet, accompanied by a removable, resealable vial of signature sour gel. Available in Strawberry and Raspberry, the product is both fully vegan and Halal certified. The format allows consumers to customise the sour intensity on each chew, making it ideal for on-the-go snacking and multi-occasion enjoyment.
Amelia Fever, Juicy Drop Brand Manager, highlights the consumer demand driving this innovation: “The success of Gummy Dipperz has shown us that consumers love having the freedom to customise their confectionery experience. The combination of a great-tasting sweet and our signature sour gel gives people a fun and interactive way to enjoy the product, and Chew Dipperz takes that successful formula into the chew category for the first time. We see this as an exciting next step for both the Dipperz platform and the wider Juicy Drop brand.”
Since introducing the Juicy Drop Pop in 2007, Bazooka Candy Brands has consistently focused on engaging formats spanning pops, lollipops, and gummies. With Chew Dipperz, the brand continues to strengthen its footprint in interactive, trend-led kids’ confectionery.
Empire Bespoke Foods (EBF) is tapping into growing consumer demand for imported, experiential confectionery with the UK introduction of America’s top chewy cinnamon candy, Hot Tamales. Manufactured by Just Born (the makers of Mike and Ike), the brand addresses younger demographics who are reshaping the confectionery category through their appetite for bold flavours, international provenance, and shareable experiences.
The UK launch caters directly to the emerging “FRICY” (Fruity & Spicy) trend—an evolution of the “Swicy” (Sweet & Spicy) movement. The range features two core lines: Hot Tamales Fierce Cinnamon, available now, combining chewy sweetness with an intense cinnamon heat, and Hot Tamales Tropical Heat, scheduled for January 2027 (with earlier availability for special orders), combining tropical fruit with a chilli kick across Fiery Lime, Mango Chilli, and Pineapple Picante flavours.
Edward Rayment, Brand Manager at Empire Bespoke Foods, emphasises how changing consumer expectations require a shift in retail strategy: “Confectionery shoppers increasingly expect excitement as well as indulgence. Wholesalers should balance familiar favourites with products that offer unusual flavours, international provenance and a strong visual identity.”
Highlighting the sales potential of flavour innovation, Rayment notes: “Sweet-and-spicy/fruity-and-spicy confectionery can create incremental interest because it delivers an experience that shoppers want to try, discuss and share.”
To maximise throughput, EBF advises wholesalers and retailers to place Hot Tamales prominently within dedicated American/imported fixtures, utilise secondary placements near tills or snacking areas, and build brand blocks combining both variants. EBF supports the range through trade PR, digital and social campaigns, product sampling, and branded POS assets.
Confectionery is increasingly shaped by experience-led trends, as shoppers seek out bold flavours, innovative textures, and nostalgic profiles. Global influence has moved into the mainstream, with research showing 78% of UK shoppers buy Asian-inspired bagged snacks, while online discussions around sweet and savoury products are up 9% year-on-year (Innova).
Fini is capitalising on this demand with novel launches like Fini Mini Mochis (Fruits and Berries), which offer a chewy mochi texture and strong sensory appeal, as well as additions to its core Tubes portfolio. The new Cotton Candy and Sour Blue Raspberry variants feature in £1.25 price-marked packs (140g) and tap into consumer nostalgia—a driver cited by over one in four shoppers (Vypr).
Fini’s strategy has translated into 37% value sales growth in Symbols & Independents in the latest quarter, making it the largest contributor to category growth (Circana).
Steven Greaves, Managing Director UK and Ireland at Fini, notes the importance of a curated NPD strategy: “For wholesalers, keeping the confectionery range fresh doesn’t require constant overhauls. Instead, it’s about introducing a selection of standout SKUs that offer something genuinely different.”
To maximise category performance, Greaves stresses the need for balanced ranging and clear depot execution: “A well-balanced range should combine core bestsellers, high-impulse lines and more distinctive, treat-led products. This enables retailers to navigate the category with confidence, while also encouraging trade-up and increasing overall basket spend.”
Fini supports its portfolio through front-of-depot displays, digital takeovers, and sampling campaigns, including mochi-themed sampling cars across major Bestway depots.
Consumers are increasingly seeking crafted, experiential confectionery for gifting and treats, while mass-market options remain key for everyday accessibility. Alongside this demand for premiumisation, buyers are increasingly curious about new flavours and inclusive, plant-based options. Sharing formats and boxed chocolates perform strongly during social occasions, while single-serve formats drive impulse, portion-controlled purchases.
Haldiram’s maintains its competitive edge through traditional Indian sweets (mithai), backed by nearly 90 years of heritage. Best-sellers include Kaju Katli, Habshi Halwa, Milk Cake, and Motichoor Ladoo, with recent NPD additions including Coconut Burfi and Modak. The brand also expanded its presence by opening its first London restaurant in Leicester Square.
Rhea Agarwal, Commercial Director UK & EU at Haldiram, observes that younger demographics are fundamentally reshaping engagement in the category: “For younger shoppers in particular, indulgence is increasingly about the experience, whether that comes through an unusual flavour, format, packaging or something that feels new to discover.”
Regarding overall strategy and retail execution, Agarwal highlights the need to adapt to evolving consumer expectations: “The most important thing is to understand what your consumer wants and respond to changing shopping habits. Whether that is new flavours, different formats, value, convenience or premium products, retailers and brands need to keep listening to their customers.”
She adds that operational success in wholesale relies on clear positioning: “The right product format and the right price point are key. Products need to be presented in formats that are easy for consumers to understand and purchase, while remaining competitive and offering clear value.”
Haldiram’s supports its range through a comprehensive marketing plan including radio, social media, out-of-home campaigns, e-commerce, sampling, and in-store visual merchandising.
Monty Bojangles is unveiling four brand-new additions to its Christmas gifting range for 2026.
Set to inspire sales success, with the brand’s core gifting ranges growing by +35% YOY (2024 vs. 2025), Monty Bojangles continues to follow its winning formula of catering to consumers seeking premium, magical, and inclusive confectionery and gifting items at a competitive price.
Delivering more of what its customers know and love, the festive NPD includes two new additions to the brand’s hugely popular Cat Tin family, Golden Goddess Cat Tin and Jade Mirage Cat Tin, and two new adaptations of the popular advent calendar range, Marvellous Truffles Advent Calendar 235g and Magnificent Vegan Advent Calendar 235g.
Andrew Newlands, CEO and Founder of Monty Bojangles says: “At Monty Bojangles we believe the visual spectacle of premium chocolate gifts should promise the exceptional quality within and our glorious collection of Truffle-filled Cats are a superb example of this. Developed with our fans in mind, having listened to their feedback, we are delighted to introduce Golden Goddess and Jade Mirage to the line-up this Christmas. These personality-packed gifting options are not only perfect for tapping into the gifting occasion during Christmastime, but also for consumers looking for items to enjoy at home with family and friends over the festive period, particularly with Golden Goddess joining our XL tin collection.”
Serving up playful charm, personality and joyful fun to consumers as it continues to grow and innovate, Monty Bojangles has achieved its strongest retail performance to date and has earned multiple awards across taste, confectionery, design, product innovation and SME export.
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