Chocolate Candy: U.S. Market Trends and Opportunities,13th Edition
With a focus on “what’s next” and current consumer trends, Chocolate Candy: U.S. Market Trends and Opportunities, 13th Edition is packed with insights about consumer trends, behavior, and motivations to help food producers, retailers, packaging companies, employers, and investors gauge consumer perspectives and find areas for growth in a competitive market.
Chocolate Candy: U.S. Market Trends and Opportunities, 13th Edition delivers actionable predictions and recommendations designed to guide producers, retailers, and investors in making business decisions by providing data and insights about what consumers think about chocolate and what products consumers are buying/using.
Scope
Chocolate Candy: U.S. Market Trends and Opportunities, 13th Edition is the go-to source for a complete understanding of U.S. consumer trends in chocolate. This report combines Packaged Facts’ extensive monitoring of the food and beverage market with proprietary surveys, and evaluates current trends and future directions for marketing and retailing, along with consumer patterns during the pandemic and across the broader food and beverage market.
Historical and forecast data are available for snack food and chocolate shipments and retail sales of chocolate. Shipment values and retail sales are provided for 2015-2020 and projected for 2025.
Chocolate Candy: U.S. Market Trends and Opportunities, 13th Edition examines product marketing; surveys retail channel trends; and analyzes consumer trends and motivations. This report contains dozens of numerical tables and charts, as well as numerous product photographs.
- Executive Summary
- Chocolate Eating Occasions
- Priorities When Buying Chocolate
- Packaging Opportunities
- Key Demographics
- Scope
- Related Reports
- COVID-19 Effects on Consumers
- Highlights
- Frequent Chocolate Consumers Express Greater Concerns about the Coronavirus
- Table Coronavirus Concerns: "I am concerned about the…" (percent of consumers)
- Consumers Who Report Eating Chocolate Frequently or Often Are Experiencing More Negative Personal Effects of the Pandemic
- Table Coronavirus Concerns: "The coronavirus has negatively affected my…" (percent of consumers)
- Effects on Work Are Higher Among Frequent Chocolate Users
- Table Coronavirus Concerns: "Because of the coronavirus, I…", 2021 (percent of consumers)
- Eating Habits Are Changing
- Table Coronavirus Eating Habits: "Because of the coronavirus, I am eating more…", 2021 (percent of consumers)
- Increasing Use of Convenient Food Ordering Methods Is Higher Among Those Who Eat Chocolate Frequently or Often
- Table Coronavirus Food Purchase Habits: "Because of the coronavirus, I am…", 2021 (percent of consumers)
- Consumers Are Using Chocolate More for Snacking, Baking, and Dessert During the Pandemic
- Table Coronavirus Chocolate Use Habits by Occasion, 2021 (percent of consumers)
- Some Consumers Are Extending Seasonal Celebrations Due to the Pandemic, and the Effect Is Much Stronger with Frequent Chocolate Users
- Table Coronavirus Seasonal Celebration Extensions, 2021 (percent of consumers)
- Consumer Chocolate Consumption During the Pandemic
- Table Agreement on Statements about Coronavirus Chocolate Consumption (percent of consumers)
- Overview and Market Trends
- Highlights
- Gluten, Food Allergies, and Dietary Restrictions Are a Concern to Many Consumers
- Vegetarians, Vegans, and Flexitarians: Plant-Based Eating, Sustainability, and Beyond
- Food Gifting Trends
- Purchasing for Others
- Table Chocolate Food Gifts Purchased for others in the Last 12 Months, 2010-2021 (percent of consumers)
- Purchasing Food Gifts For Self
- Table Types of Food Gifts Purchased for Self in the Last 12 Months, 2020 and 2021 (percent of consumers)
- Personal vs. Work-Related Food Gift Types
- Table Types of Food Gifts Received: Personal Gift vs. Business Gift in the Last 12 Months, 2020 and 2021 (percent of adults who received a food gift)
- Purchasing for Others
- Sustainability of Chocolate Production
- Deforestation and Human Rights Concerns
- Chocolate Marketers Working Toward Improving the Cocoa Supply Chain
- Sustainable Farming Techniques
- Fair Trade Chocolate as a More Ethical Product
- Home Baking Trends
- Baking for Indulgence, Nostalgia, or Comfort
- Convenience Foods and Semi-Homemade Foods
- Cross Branding Can Increase Appeal of Baking Products
- Companies Are Investing in Blockchain and Big Data to Satisfy Consumer Desires for Transparency
- Consumers Think Small and Medium Businesses Have More Credibility
- Drivers of Food Purchase Decisions
- More Than Half of Consumers Say Healthfulness Matters More to Them Now When Deciding on Foods to Buy
- Influential Labels in Food Purchasing Decisions
- Half of Consumers Say Whether a Food Is Processed Affects Purchasing Decisions
- A Majority of Consumers Want to Know Where Food Comes From
- Sustainability Is Important to Many Consumers
- Most Consumers Think Knowing Whether Food Choices Are Environmentally Sustainable Is Hard
- Health Benefits in Foods
- One-Fourth of Consumers Seek Health Benefits from Foods
- Nutrients Considered Healthy by Consumers
- Most Sought After Nutrients
- Perception of Health Differences in Products
- Sales, Shipments, and Consumer Use of Chocolate
- Highlights
- Shipments of Snack Foods and Chocolate Confections
- Table Snack Food and Chocolate Shipments, 2015-2020, 2025P (billion dollars)
- Chocolate Retail Sales
- Category Dollar Sales
- Table Chocolate Candy Retail Sales by Type, 2015-2020, 2025P (million dollars)
- Luxury, Premium, and Everyday Chocolate
- Category Dollar Sales
- Most Consumers Have Purchased Chocolate in the Last Six Months
- Boxed Chocolate Brands
- Table Purchases of Different Boxed Chocolate Brands in the Last Six Months, 2015-2020 (percent of consumers)
- Regular or King Size Chocolate Brands
- Table Purchases of Different Regular or King Size Chocolate Brands in the Last Six Months A-G, 2015-2020 (percent of consumers)
- Table Purchases of Different Regular or King Size Chocolate Brands in the Last Six Months H-L, 2015-2020 (percent of consumers)
- Table Purchases of Different Regular or King Size Chocolate Brands in the Last Six Months M-P, 2015-2020 (percent of consumers)
- Table Purchases of Different Regular or King Size Chocolate Brands in the Last Six Months R-Z, 2015-2020 (percent of consumers)
- Miniature/Loose Chocolate
- Table Purchases of Different Miniature/Loose Chocolate Candy Brands in the Last Six Months A-L, 2015-2020 (percent of consumers)
- Table Purchases of Different Miniature/Loose Chocolate Candy Brands in the Last Six Months M-Y, 2015-2020 (percent of consumers)
- Chocolate Consumption Frequency
- Table Frequency of Chocolate Consumption by Flavor/Type, 2021 (percent of consumers)
- Dark and Milk Chocolate Are Used Most Often as Snacks, While White and Flavored Chocolate Are Most Used for Special Occasions
- Table Purposes of Chocolate Consumption by Type, 2021 (percent of consumers who use each chocolate type)
- Retail and Marketing Trends and Opportunities
- Highlights
- Personalization and Customization Is Important in the Chocolate Food Gifting Space
- Indulgence vs. Health and "Better-for-You" Chocolate Trends
- Clean Label Trends
- Unrefined Sugar
- Sugar-Free Chocolate and Alternative Sweeteners
- Low-Carb/High Protein, Keto, and Paleo Diets
- Addition of Nuts, Fruit, Seeds, and Other Ingredients for Increased Nutrition
- Vegan/Plant-Based Chocolate Appeals to Those Looking to Eat a Plant-Forward Diet
- Organic Products
- Unique Flavors and Flavor Combinations
- Candy Adjacencies
- Targeting LGBT Consumers, a Growing Demographic
- Families with Children Are Important Chocolate Users
- Major Holidays
- Winter Holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa)
- Table Planned Winter Holiday Gift Spending, Total and Per Person, 2015-2020
- Valentine's Day
- Table Planned Valentine's Day Spending, Total and Per Person, 2015-2021
- Mother's Day
- Table Planned Mother's Day Spending, Total and Per Person, 2015-2020
- Easter
- Table Planned Easter Spending, Total and Per Person, 2014-2019
- Halloween
- Table Planned Halloween Spending, Total and Per Person, 2015-2020
- Winter Holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa)
- Weddings & Anniversaries
- The Percentage of Consumers Who Are Married Has Fallen, But More People Are Now Living With Domestic Partners
- Table Marriage Statistics, 2010 – 2020
- Same-Sex Marriages
- The Percentage of Consumers Who Are Married Has Fallen, But More People Are Now Living With Domestic Partners
- Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Marketing
- New Companies and Products with Niche Appeal May Choose DTC Channels
- Private Labels
- Subscription Boxes
- In-Store Purchasing Trends
- Retail Stores Rely More On Impulse Purchases of Chocolate
- Holiday Promotions Are Key
- Private Label Chocolates Are a Driver of Store Traffic and Retailer Loyalty
- Brand Positioning of Top Chocolate Marketers
- Lindt & Sprüngli Group
- Godiva
- Hershey
- Mars Wrigley
- Ferrero
- Consumer Demographics
- Highlights
- Use of Chocolate is Overall Highest Among the 45-54 Age Group of Generation Xers
- Table Use of Different Chocolate Formats in the Last Six Months by Age Bracket, 2020 (percent of consumers)
- Table Frequent Use of Different Chocolate Types by Age Bracket, 2020 (percent of consumers)
- Women Are More Likely than Men to Purchase Chocolate
- Table Use of Different Chocolate Formats in the Last Six Months by Gender, 2020 (percent of consumers)
- Chocolate Purchases Vary Somewhat Across Different Household Income Brackets, But Are High Among All Groups
- Table Use of Different Chocolate Formats in the Last Six Months by Household Income Bracket, 2020 (percent of consumers)
- Table Frequent Use of Different Chocolate Types by Household Income Bracket, 2020 (percent of consumers)
- Presence of Children in the Household
- Table Use of Different Chocolate Formats in the Last Six Months by Age Bracket, 2020 (percent of consumers)
- LGBT Consumers Are the Most Likely Demographic to Buy Chocolate
- Table Use of Different Chocolate Formats in the Last Six Months by Age Bracket, 2020 (percent of consumers)
- Those Living in the Midwest Region Are Most Likely to Buy Chocolate
- Table Use of Different Chocolate Formats in the Last Six Months by Age Bracket, 2020 (percent of consumers)
- Chocolate Purchases Are High Among All Racial/Ethnic Groups
- Table Use of Different Chocolate Formats in the Last Six Months by Age Bracket, 2020 (percent of consumers)
- Differences in Chocolate Purchased Based on Educational Attainment
- Table Use of Different Chocolate Formats in the Last Six Months by Age Bracket, 2020 (percent of consumers)
- Consumer Psychographics
- Highlights
- Buying Styles
- Table Statements about Buying Styles, 2020 (percent of consumers, any agree)
- Food Attitudes of Chocolate Users by Type
- Table Statements about Food Attitudes, 2020 (percent of consumers, any agree)
- General Attitudes of Consumers and Chocolate Users
- Table Statements about General Attitudes, 2020 (percent of consumers, any agree)
- Health Attitudes of Chocolate Users and General Consumers
- Table Statements about Health Attitudes, 2020 (percent of consumers, any agree)
- Priorities When Buying Chocolate
- Price Is the Highest Priority for Most Consumers
- Table Priorities Placed When Buying Chocolate and Chocolate Candies (percent of consumers)
- Frequent Chocolate Users Place Higher Priority on Most Chocolate Traits
- Table High Priorities Placed When Buying Chocolate and Chocolate Candies by Type of Chocolate Used (percent of consumers)
- Table More High Priorities Placed When Buying Chocolate and Chocolate Candies by Type of Chocolate Used (percent of consumers)
- Millennials Place a Higher Priority on Many Chocolate Traits Such as Higher Cacao Content, Unique Flavors, Fair Trade, and Organic
- Table High Priorities Placed When Buying Chocolate and Chocolate Candies by Age Bracket (percent of consumers)
- Table More High Priorities Placed When Buying Chocolate and Chocolate Candies by Age Bracket (percent of consumers)
- Price Is the Highest Priority for Most Consumers
- Willingness to Pay More for Different Chocolate Features
- Table Agreement on Statements about Willingness to Pay More for Chocolate (percent of consumers)
- Most Consumers Think Dark Chocolate Is Healthy and that Chocolate Can Be Consumed As Part of a Healthy Lifestyle
- Table Agreement on Statements about Willingness to Pay More for Chocolate (percent of consumers)
- Packaging Trends
- Highlights
- The Balance Between Effective and Low-Cost Packaging
- Food Gift Buyers Think Attractive Packaging is More Important Than Eco-Friendly Packaging, But Looks Are Decreasing in Importance
- Table Attributes Sought When Purchasing Specialty Food Gifts, 2010-2020 (percent of those buying any food gifts)
- Recyclable/Environmentally Friendly Packaging Is More Important Than Ever
- Table Consumer Thoughts on Recycling and Recyclable Packaging (percent of consumers)
- Packaging Types Considered Eco-Friendly by Consumers
- Table Consumer Thoughts on Recycling and Recyclable Packaging (percent of consumers)
- Seeking Out Sustainable or Eco-Friendly Packaging
- Table Seeking Out Sustainable or Eco-Friendly Packaging (percent of consumers)
- Opportunities for Biodegradable and Compostable Packaging
- Targeting Excessive Packaging for Reduction and Elimination
- Truth in Advertising Extends to Packaging
- Functional Packaging Can Be Framed as Sustainability
- Creative Packaging Provides Gift Recipients with a Memorable Experience
- Protective Packaging Is Important For Product Integrity
- A Shift from Expensive Set-Up Boxes to Other Paper Packaging
- Retail-Ready Packaging Makes Chocolate Promotions Stand Out and Promotes Stocking Efficiency in Stores
Research Assistance
Download our eBook: How to Succeed Using Market Research
Learn how to effectively navigate the market research process to help guide your organization on the journey to success.
Download eBook