Trends in consumer and shopper behaviour continue to change and the confectionery category is evolving to keep consumers engaged.
Even in times of economic uncertainty, treating and snacking remain high, and 96% of these products are chosen for pleasure (Kantar).
Consumers want ever more convenient ways to shop and ‘at my convenience, not yours’ is a trend we’re increasingly seeing.
“We can elevate that experience for them and are harnessing those opportunities to continue growing the category,” comments Matt Boulter, UK Sales Director, Mars Wrigley.
With the growing emphasis on health and wellness, consumers are making more conscious choices, opting for confectionery products with reduced sugar and natural ingredients. This has led retailers to expand their offerings of healthier alternatives and prominently display these options to cater to health-conscious consumers.
Mars Wrigley launched the new GALAXY® Vegan Salted Caramel bar into retailers in 2023 as part of a bold refresh of the GALAXY® Vegan product range. The new SKU, which is gluten-free, dairy-free and registered with The Vegan Society, bolsters the brand’s core Vegan line-up, including GALAXY® Vegan Classic, GALAXY® Vegan Orange and GALAXY® Vegan Crumbled Cookie. The refresh came at a time when more shoppers than ever are seeking free-from confectionery that embodies innovation parallel to that in the core confectionery aisle.
With a design and taste similar to the mainstream confectionery equivalent, the new GALAXY® Vegan Salted Caramel bar is made with hazelnut paste and filled with creamy salted caramel.
M&M’S® Minis measure a whole 3.6mm smaller than regular M&M’S® tapping into the trend for finding joy in small things. The range extension is set to unlock shopper penetration by recruiting younger consumers into the bitesize sub-category, where Mars Wrigley already leads with a 42 percent market share (Nielsen).
Appealing to the screentime consumption occasion while opening up new opprtunities in baking and decoration, M&M’S® Minis are available in multiple pack formats: 70g Price Marked Pack, 115g Core Pouch, 176g More-To-Share Pouch and 800g Party Pack. This innovation fills the gap for a permissible treat that is fun to eat and capitalises on the Gen Z target market’s love of new and exciting tastes, offering a moment of escape.
Chocolate has shown a consistently high performance, growing an extra 2.7% year on year. Mars Wrigley has category-leading brands across the chocolate sector of the market, including Mars, Maltesers, Galaxy, Snickers and Bounty.
While chocolate is a part of the broader confectionery market, it stands out due to its specific ingredients, processing methods, variety, nutritional profile, consumer perception, and market dynamics.
“The impulse purchase trend has particular resonance for Mars Wrigley, and we want to continue to partner with our customers to deliver against them. Our category-first approach defines new routes to shoppers in the omnichannel world. Displays and instore media are critical for us to drive awareness and conversion at the point of purchase,” adds Boulter.
“Convenience is key for consumers. They want to be able to enter a store and easily find what they are looking for. Cross-merchandising can be useful for retailers looking to boost basket spend and generate impulse sales. By pairing items together, retailers can offer some inspiration for those mini moments.”
Nearly half (45%) of confectionery products are picked up from the main fixtures (Lumina). Retailers should place their confectionery items on these fixtures to increase visibility and drive sales. Additionally, the use of engaging POS will play a large role in increasing basket spend, alongside placing the items at eye level, or buy level, which has been shown to boost sales by up to 20% (Mars Wrigley).
“Retailers should champion new products in store in order to raise sales and capitalise on early consumer demand. A secondary sitting by the till can boost both awareness and sales alongside displaying POS materials that highlight new products,” says Boulter.
“Retailers can increase awareness of new campaigns or new products by making use of point of sale in store. Consumers will be intrigued by what catches their eye.”
Mark Roberts, Marketing & Trade Marketing Director at Perfetti Van Melle, comments: “The total UK sugar confectionery market is worth £1.6bn (IRI) with Perfetti Van Melle now positioned as the world’s second-leading confectionery manufacturer (Euromonitor) with their portfolio of household brands including Mentos, Fruit-tella, Chupa Chups, and Smint being worth over £100 million.”
Confectionery is one of the top five categories purchased on impulse in convenience stores. Offering a full range that supports the government’s HFSS guidelines of under 150kcal per pack gives Perfetti the opportunity to be closer to these impulse purchases.
Family favourite and top ten candy brand, Fruit-tella’s best-selling chews have transitioned to a fully vegan recipe, meaning that the brand can now deliver fruity joy to an even bigger audience of consumers. The switch to vegan will be implemented across the full range of chews including the Fruit-tella favourite Simply Strawberry, the moreish Fruit-tella Duo Stix, and the more recent edition of Fruit-tella Berries & Cherries – now available in a convenient stick format.
The delectable chews will still contain real fruit juice and be made with all-natural colourings and flavours. All Fruit-tella sharing bag sweets are individually wrapped, and as such they are a treat that promotes hygiene and portion control. This makes them the perfect portable snack for families – be that on a long car journey, to pop in a bag for on-the-go pick me up, or to have in the cupboard for when trick or treaters come by. “Fruit-tella has been synonymous with the highest quality sweets since 1931,” adds Roberts. “We are delighted that those who favour a plant-based diet can now join in the fruity fun too. We have worked hard to perfect a vegan recipe that replicates the taste and texture of our beloved chews, and we are certain that the new formulation will be a surefire hit with existing consumers and new shoppers alike. We look forward to welcoming some more fans to the Fruit-tella family!”
Fruit-tella has expanded into the jellies market with an innovative and interactive NPD: Fruit-tella Curiosities.
The themed packs – By the Sea, In the Snow, Out in Space and On a Safari, allow shoppers to explore one of four far-flung and fantastic worlds.
Now available to buy in store for £1.50 per pack, the HFSS-compliant jellies are made with 30% reduced sugar, real fruit juice, and natural colourings and flavours – all the attributes that make the core Fruit-tella range a family favourite.
By the Sea features soft fish, starfish and crab shapes in perennially popular flavours lemon, orange, and strawberry. In the Snow contains a mixture of penguins, polar bears and walruses that taste of blackberry, raspberry, and strawberry. Out in Space explores unchartered taste territories, with moon, rocket and star shapes in stellar strawberry, pineapple and peach flavour, and On a Safari features a roaring assortment of elephants, leopards, rhinos, buffalos and lions in zesty orange, apple and pear flavour.
Mentos is the no.2 chewy brand globally and no.8 in the UK with value sales worth £41.3m and the brand +31.4% vs last year (Unify).
Mentos Gum is the No.1 gum manufacturer globally and no.2 within the UK with value sales of £11.6m (Unify). Combined Mentos in the UK is now a £53m brand and has firmly positioned itself as a household name in confectionery.
This growth has been driven thanks to continuous innovation from Perfetti Van Melle captivating customers – exemplified by the exciting new launch of Mentos Discovery, which offers a category-first 14 different flavour sweets in one roll.
Mixed fruit flavours dominate the Hard Chews Sweets category, worth £71m in L52w, with recent research proving there is a burgeoning appetite among sweet eaters for exotic flavours (Innova and Mintel). Mentos Discovery is primed to break new ground in the category with 14 flavours including passion fruit, lychee, blueberry, blackcurrant, lime, strawberry, raspberry, orange, lemon, watermelon, banana, grape, cherry and pineapple.
Following the success of Mentos Fanta launch in summer 2022 the much sought after Mentos Fanta has been awarded Product of the Year 2023. The highly respected award confirms the status of the tasty chewy treat as a firm consumer favourite.
The launch saw two global power brands from candy and soft drinks join forces to make the delicious orange drink Fanta available in a chewable format. Mentos Fanta launched globally last year, the product is now within the bestselling fruit single lines in convenience, petrol, and travel.
60% of UK consumers are buying sweets in order to lift their mood, with a further 23% making confectionery purchases as gifts (Lumina). Position this against an economically challenging and politically gloomy landscape and it is likely that sweet items perceived to provide ‘little lifts’ are to be gifted to loved ones or enjoyed yourself.
Chupa Chups has taken a bold step into the extruded jellies market with the launch of the new Chupa Chups Belts and Laces range, plus the launch of Chupa Chups Bites and Tubes in summer 2024. Tapping into the growing demand for sour and fruity sweets, the Belts and Laces range comprises of tantalising Sour Mixed Belts, Sour Apple Belts, Sour Strawberry Belts, and Strawberry Laces. Packed in convenient 90g bags, the vibrant and playful packaging is designed to stand out on shelves, add colour to the confectionery aisles and to entice new shoppers to the category. Chupa Chups Sour Bites and Tubes promise a delicious mixed fruity flavour, covered in sour dust for added oomph.
With an assortment of flavours, the new formats are ideal for sharing amongst friends and makes the perfect addition to any social gathering. With the overall laces, belts and wands category now valued at £91m and experiencing a remarkable growth rate of +19% (Circana), Chupa Chups is poised to capture an even larger share of this expanding market and advises buyers to stock up now.
Confectionery is one of the top five categories purchased on impulse in convenience stores (Lumina), and Perfetti Van Melle is committed to helping retailers make the most of the opportunity, with its bestselling products and category expertise.
Phil Hulme, Commercial Director, Kervan Gida UK, comments: “The total Sugar Confectionery category grew 14.8% in value (to add £149M) in 2023 versus 2022 but is down in volume (Circana). The growth in the market is currently driven by inflation. People will always want to have a treat, and a small £1 or £2 treat is still accessible.
The sugar confectionery subcategory worth £1,158M is much smaller than chocolate but it is outperforming chocolate with value growth of +14.8% annually (Circana).
“For us, the key trends are sour, seasonal and HFSS,” adds Hulme. “Sour confectionery is currently seeing a big uplift in demand, +49% YOY MAT. There have always been novelties like Toxic Waste, the American sweets, and Haribo sours, but historically it’s not been a large sector, though more sour products have been coming into the market since the beginning of 2023. “
Bebeto has developed some sour products in the ‘year-round’ market and seasonal spaces. The brand has got behind Supersour and Halloween, and its sours perform well.
Halloween has been a focus for Bebeto for the last three or four years with a range of products that fulfil different consumer missions like trick or treat, family share and party. The brand has seasonal NPD for Halloween 2024, Super Sour Scary Skulls, 150g £1 price point SSP (suggested sale price), which will be available market wide.
Bebeto has two vegan-specific lines, Fizzy Ring Mix and Fizzy Peach Hearts, 150g bags, SSP £1.
“There’s a market for HFSS-compliant products and some good alternatives are available in the market to offer consumers the choice,” says Hulme. “We are in the process of developing an offering in this area.”
Super sour sweets capitalise on the super sour trend that is prevalent in sugar confectionery, and Bebeto is introducing Super Sour Scary Skulls for Halloween 2024.
With no added flavours and no added colours, each pack contains 6 flavours: Strawberry, Cola, Blackcurrant, Pineapple, Raspberry, and Cherry.
“Bebeto is flying, with increased distribution across the marketplace,” adds Hulme. “We are the fastest growing manufacturer brand, growing +48% MAT (Circana), and planned growth of +40.7% for 2023/24. We’re a very strong, a challenger brand.
“We’ve been taking space on shelf in the last few years, and we have a strong activation plan for 2024 and more major retailer listings coming up. We have total UK sales of £40m, of which 60% is brand and 40% is private label.”
Bebeto’s total UK sales grew 50% in 2023 (Circana). The brand plans to do the same in 2024 by carrying on with consecutive year on year growth.
The sugar confectionery category offers huge opportunities for wholesalers, as shoppers look for new, innovative candy to enjoy as a treat. So, wholesalers could help retailers have the opportunity to premiumise their current offering and drive sales in store, with products that genuinely disrupt and excite the category. Retailers can work with Ferrara, America’s number one Sugar Candy business (Circana), to do this.
Ferrara and the Nerds portfolio specifically, is well-placed to help wholesalers and retailers capitalise on shoppers who are increasingly looking to trade up. For years, innovative retailers across the country have made themselves destinations for US confectionery and have seen first-hand the premium prices shoppers are willing to pay for these products. Nerds has been key to this growth and the brand is showing no signs of slowing down. Over the past year Nerds Candy has outperformed the UK non-chocolate confectionery market with value sales up by +65% year on year and annual sales of £7.4m (NIQ).
What’s more, in the US, Nerds has delivered the highest growth in the Sugar Candy category over the past two years (23% contribution to growth, Circana) and in the latest 52 weeks, Nerds household penetration has hit an all-time high with two thirds of households now repeat buyers (Circana). So, there is now a clear opportunity to elevate the category and drive premiumisation with Nerds Candy in the UK.
To make the distribution chain as seamless as possible, Ferrara Candy recently partnered with FBC UK, who are now the sole importer of Nerds Candy in the UK and Republic of Ireland.
Shoppers are continuing to buy into brands that offer a mix of something new with something nostalgic. Because of this, the newstalgia trend – combining elements of the past with the present – has grown in popularity in recent months.
Launched in 1983, Nerds Candy is perfectly positioned to tap into this trend as it continues to reinvent its iconic brand and drive shopper trial. Nerds is growing in both awareness and popularity in the UK, with 70% of Brits claiming they have heard of the brand (PSOS), so now is the perfect time for retailers to introduce products such as the Nerds Candy Rainbow Fruit Flavour Theatre Box, Nerds Candy Watermelon & Cherry Dual Chamber and Nerds Candy Grape & Strawberry Dual Chamber, to their stores.
As America’s number one Sugar Candy business (Circana), Ferrara is on a mission to help wholesalers capitalise on the opportunity and shake up the category by launching its breakthrough, all-new Nerds Gummy Clusters. The unique product combines the popular texture of gummy sweets with a coating of tangy and crunchy Nerds, satisfying the tastebuds of those looking for a textural adventure.
There are five SKUs in the Nerds Gummy Clusters range and two flavour varieties – Fruits and Berries – in two formats, 113g sharing bags and 45g singles. The range also contains Nerds Rope (26g), a crunchy and gummy string of tangy and sweet flavours, all delivering a multi-sensorial experience for the consumer.
The Nerds Gummy Clusters launch will be backed by a significant investment for the wider brand from July this year to December 2025. This includes outdoor and digital advertising, as well as video-on-demand partnerships with key media channels, activations, and targeted sampling at festivals.
There was no better time to launch Nerds Gummy Clusters in the UK, as the brand has seen booming success in the US. In fact, Nerds Gummy Clusters shoppers are spending 55% more than the category average in the US (Circana), so this range is effective at trading up shoppers and unlocking an opportunity for retailers. Independent convenience retailers can stock up from selected wholesalers, with Gummy Clusters fully compliant to UK & EU food regulations too.
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