Candy Market Research Reports & Industry Analysis

Candy is normally defined as a sweet created from sugar and normally mixed together with other ingredients, like dairy products, chocolate, fruit, or nuts. The term “candy” comes from an Arabic word, qandi, meaning “made of sugar”.

The U.S. Commerce Department has divided candy into two different standard categories for products: non-chocolate and chocolate. Each of the two categories is then broken down into various product types and sectors. Product typing bases off of the product’s mixture of ingredients, texture, and also the comprehensive manufacturing processes. The classification applied throughout the candy industry is loosely based off of the definitions determined by the Commerce Department, even though they can be generally much more broad.

Chocolate products always have either actual chocolate as an ingredient or a chocolate mixture that applies substitutes for certain chocolate components. Generally, butter made from milk or vegetable shortening is used to replace the more luxurious and expensive product that is cocoa butter. The chocolate category also encompasses final products like chocolate candy with infusions, panned chocolate candies, or molded chocolate candies.

Non-chocolate products are defined through the government as the entire confectionery products that do not have actual chocolate or a chocolate compound as an ingredient in the mixture. The non-chocolate category encompasses candies like hard candies, jelly beans, marshmallows, and licorice.

Candy production is mainly a seasonal business, with the majority of those involved in the market normally doubling their staffs during the winter months. Until very recently, candies made for a specific occasion or holiday – candy canes for Christmas or like in Easter with chocolate eggs, for example –were the bread and butter of specialty manufacturers. Recently, though, the major players and manufacturers have shifted into the seasonal business with specific packages for those special, important events.

Customers have turned into very health-conscious eaters and prioritize the reduction of intake in sugar, other potentially harmful ingredients, and fat. Candy manufacturers have responded by creating a wide range of sugar-free candies that, because of technological innovations in sweetening products, still provide customers the sweetness they desire. Marketers also keep looking for tasteful substitutes for the saturated fat in chocolate.

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Candy Industry Research & Market Reports

  • Gum in the Czech Republic

    ... volume growth in 2023. Euromonitor International's Gum in Czech Republic report offers in-depth knowledge of the market at a national level, providing local insight and understanding unavailable elsewhere. In addition to the latest retail sales ... Read More

  • Sugar Confectionery in Georgia

    ... the pace of grow is slowing due to the increase in unit prices, which is dampening demand to a degree. Nonetheless, the category is demonstrating its resilience in the face of industry-wide challenges. Indeed, sugar ... Read More

  • Sugar Confectionery in Denmark

    ... confectionery products with liquorice flavour that Danes love. Moreover, this category specifically saw many new product launches towards the end of the review period. Ga-JoL introduced two new pastilles, Ga-JoL Original Red and the limited ... Read More

  • Sugar Confectionery in Guatemala

    ... younger children, particularly at birthday parties where traditional piñatas regularly feature, special events, and during certain seasonal holidays and occasions. Given its maturity, retail volume and current value growth rates are typically low year on ... Read More

  • Sugar Confectionery in Dominican Republic

    ... ones. With all retailers fully reopened there has been a full return to impulse buying, underpinning retail volume sales. Nevertheless, budget-conscious consumers are trading down to lower-priced items in this category, with higher-priced sugar confectionery ... Read More

  • Gum in Dominican Republic

    ... heavily impacted in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Chewing gum is mostly used between meals to clean teeth and freshen breath, particularly if consumers expect to be socialising with other people. In ... Read More

  • Gum in New Zealand

    ... this are multi-faceted, with the Reserve Bank of New Zealand dropping interest rates to record lows at the start of the pandemic, overstimulating the local economy. Additionally, domestic and international supply chain disruptions and rising ... Read More

  • Gum in Canada

    ... freshening breath. With socialisations and gatherings returning to normal levels, manufacturers have not only focused on new product launches and introducing new flavours but have also engaged in strong promotional activities, positioning gum as an ... Read More

  • Sugar Confectionery in Canada

    ... increase in socialising activities, the return to office settings, and the rise in on-the-go snacking have contributed to the category's improved performance. Leading brands like Twizzlers, Skittles, Jolly Rancher, and Tic Tac, among others, are ... Read More

  • Sugar Confectionery in Belgium

    ... thirsty for innovations, and are often willing to try new products without thinking about the health benefits. The main consumption motivations are indulgence and taste; consumers are looking for a sweet escape while consuming these ... Read More

  • Gum in Guatemala

    ... Industry sources note that fewer social gatherings, reduced cigarette consumption and other social and mobility variables have influenced the category’s struggle to recover fully. They also stated it might be a category where consumers have ... Read More

  • Sugar Confectionery in New Zealand

    ... contribute to these inflationary pressures. The Reserve Bank of New Zealand's record-low interest rates at the start of the pandemic over-stimulated the local economy. Additionally, domestic and international supply chain disruptions, rising logistics costs, and ... Read More

  • Gum in Belgium

    ... which led to a steep decline in sales of gum, posing challenges to the category’s growth trajectory. Chewing gum, sales of which are directly proportional to social interactions, bore the brunt of this impact. Nonetheless, ... Read More

  • Gum in Malaysia

    ... compared to the previous year. A key contributing factor to this trend is the prevailing inflation, which has dampened consumers' propensity to spend on non-essential or indulgence products such as chewing gum. With a constrained ... Read More

  • Sugar Confectionery in Vietnam

    ... were forced to reduce their expenditure on discretionary items, including items of sugar confectionery, which are usually purchased on impulse during shopping trips. While manufacturers tried to their best to limit any price increases, they ... Read More

  • Gum in Thailand

    ... and Clorets brands (albeit with smaller shares), while the other main player is The Wrigley Co (Thailand) Ltd, with the Doublemint and 5 brands (again with smaller shares). It is also noted that consumers are ... Read More

  • Sugar Confectionery in Malaysia

    ... hot weather, local consumers turned to these products as preventative measures against the risk of sore throat and other illnesses. This rise in demand has been further bolstered by the increasing medical costs and tightening ... Read More

  • Sugar Confectionery in Singapore

    ... intake, as well as seeking to avoid unnecessary additives and chemicals in the snacks they consume. Hence, this shift in consumer preference has led to a decline in the popularity of some types of sugar ... Read More

  • Sugar Confectionery in Thailand

    ... (Thailand) Co Ltd) takes the lead brand place, followed by Jele (VS Foods Marketing Co Ltd), being the only two brands holding double-digit shares. Medicated confectionery is a strong area in the overall category, with ... Read More

  • Gum in Vietnam

    ... to become more frugal with their spending and prioritise necessities above non-essential items, including gum, which is usually purchased on impulse during shopping trips. Gum also faces increasing competition from alternative oral hygiene products, such ... Read More

  • Sugar Confectionery in the United Kingdom

    ... effective since October. Mints and medicated confectionery maintained their positive growth trajectories due to their breath-freshening qualities as consumers spent greater time socialising in person compared to 2021, while pastilles, gummies, jellies and chews benefited ... Read More

  • Sugar Confectionery in the Philippines

    ... in August 2022 and the return to more active lives away from the home has contributed to the increased demand for sugar confectionery in the Philippines, but particularly boiled sweets and standard mints. Brands such ... Read More

  • Gum in the United Kingdom

    ... and spending greater time outside of the home, gum recorded double-digit growth rates. The category benefited from its breath- freshening qualities and its heavy reliance on impulse sales, which also started to recover in the ... Read More

  • Sugar Confectionery in Algeria

    ... As price sensitivity is rising and worsened by the unfavourable global economic downturn, many products are being cut from household shopping lists. In addition, price rises have been noted, which has further challenged retail volume ... Read More

  • Gum in Australia

    ... strong negative impact on the category, as Australia experienced tough restrictions and heightened anxiety around outbreaks of the virus. The wearing of masks during the pandemic also reduced the consumption occasions for gum, as well ... Read More

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