According to the 2026 State of Treating report, released today by the National Confectioners Association (NCA) at its annual State of the Industry Conference (SOTIC) in Florida, these categories demonstrate strong staying power with US consumers. Sales are expected to climb another $7.3 billion over the next five years, reaching $62.2 billion across all outlets by 2030.
In his opening remarks, John Downs, NCA President & CEO, emphasised the importance of the confectionery industry in driving economic growth and its role within America’s free enterprise system.
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SOTIC is also a moment to reflect on the sector’s broader impact. Downs noted that US confectionery sales reached $55 billion in 2025, with projections for roughly $7 billion in additional growth over the next five years, bringing the market to around $62 billion by 2030.
Generational Shifts
However, he warned of a generational shift in consumer behaviour. Younger consumers in their 20s and 30s are developing a different relationship with chocolate and candy compared with older demographics.
Downs called for targeted marketing strategies to engage younger generations, particularly by leveraging key confectionery moments and cultural events such as the Super Bowl, the Olympics, and Valentine’s Day.
'Three-way squeeze'
This year’s State of Treating report findings also reinforced industry confidence. Many senior executives from leading confectionery companies gathered in Florida for the event, with several speaking off the record to Cocoaradar about concerns over a potential ‘three-way squeeze’. These include geopolitical tensions involving Iran that could reintroduce energy-driven cost inflation, uncertainty around US tariffs, and softening sales volumes.
Despite these concerns, the report highlighted the category’s remarkable reach: in 2025, 99.8% of US households purchased confectionery products at least once.
While consumers are weighing food purchases more carefully, their continued engagement with confectionery underscores the meaningful role chocolate and candy play in both everyday moments and special celebrations.
Downs said: “Americans today are making their purchase decisions with greater intention, and chocolate and candy continue to earn their place in the basket. The confectionery industry consistently delivers products that consumers know and love while introducing new innovations that shape how people choose to enjoy and share treats. No matter the occasion, confectionery brings people together.”
Key consumer trends
Anne-Marie Roerink, President of 210 Analytics, presented the full dataset to NCA members in a detailed 45-minute session.
She revealed that chocolate remains the largest segment, accounting for 41% of dollar sales, although unit sales have declined by 7% compared with 2021. Non-chocolate candy has shown greater resilience, with rising dollar sales and stable unit volumes. While inflation has affected both segments, non-chocolate products have performed slightly better.
Roerink highlighted several key consumer trends, including fewer trips to the candy aisle and an increased focus on value.
“Gen Z and Millennials favour non-chocolate and novelty items. Innovation and seasonal promotions are crucial for growth, with e-commerce sales rising to 7% of total confectionery sales,” she said.
Her key recommendations included:
- Integrate confectionery into AI-powered grocery tools: Develop strategies to ensure AI shopping assistants and digital grocery lists include confectionery items, addressing potential “anti-candy bias” while highlighting the emotional benefits of treats.
- Create a retail activation playbook: Encourage secondary displays, seasonal front-of-store placements, and in-aisle reminders to increase trip frequency and impulse purchases.
- Strengthen digital discovery strategies: Expand e-commerce presence—particularly around gifting and seasonal promotions—and leverage platforms such as TikTok to drive product discovery.
The report also emphasised the importance of targeted promotions and brand loyalty in maintaining market share.
“The number of trips to the candy aisle is down year over year, which is unusual given the overall increase in food and beverage shopping trips,” Roerink noted. Consumers are increasingly adopting money-saving measures, making promotions and brand loyalty critical.
Despite these shifts, she concluded that the outlook for the confectionery industry remains positive, with continued growth expected despite broader market challenges.
The NCA’s 2026 State of Treating report provides insights to help manufacturers and retailers take the confectionery category to the next level.
Key findings include:
Seasonal staple
Engagement with seasonal treats has returned to pre-pandemic levels. The four major candy seasons – Valentine’s Day, Easter, Halloween, and the winter holidays – accounted for 63% of all confectionery sales in 2025. Consumers are also increasingly gifting chocolate and candy for occasions such as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and the Fourth of July.
Generational growth
Across all outlets, chocolate represented 51.7% of confectionery sales, but non-chocolate candy continues to gain ground, growing from one-third of market share in 2015 to 40.9% in 2025. Boomers tend to prefer traditional milk and dark chocolate, while Gen Z and Millennials over-index for gummy, chewy, and freeze-dried candies.
Old is new
One-third of consumers – particularly Gen Z and Millennials – are very interested in exact re-releases of nostalgic or retro candy. Younger consumers are also more likely to explore new confectionery innovations, including unexpected flavour combinations and texture experiences. TikTok has become a key discovery platform.
Joy in treating
Consumers widely agree that chocolate and candy bring joy and that physical health and emotional wellbeing are interconnected. More than eight in 10 consumers believe it is fine to occasionally enjoy chocolate or candy. On average, people in the US consume confectionery two to three times per week, averaging around 40 calories and about one teaspoon of added sugar per day.
Learn more
The 2026 State of Treating report explores confectionery shopping and treating trends and remains the definitive source for confectionery category performance data. For a bite-sized overview, visit CandyUSA.com/2026BiteSized.
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