SUMMARY

Chocolates and candies with reduced sugar, no sugar or no added sugar are growing in both dollar and volume growth more than their traditional counterparts. Shoppers who buy them also have an overall higher basket ring than buyers of traditional candies.

An IRI report provides a detailed overview of the sugar-free chocolate and candy market and highlights the best opportunities to make the most of this growing trend in confections and across food and beverage categories. Read it to learn the best channel, assortment, promotional, in-store and e-commerce opportunities to sweeten your profits.

Highlights

1. More than 40% of consumers now look for low-sugar products.

2. Sugar-free candy and chocolate commands a significant price premium over their full-sugar counterparts. Sugar-free non-chocolate shoppers are less sensitive to price.

3. More than 90% of sugar-free candy is sold through the food, drug and mass channels. Sales are not growing in the dollar and club channels, pointing to a growth opportunity in those channels.

4. Larger product assortments and new, innovative products are helping to boost sales of sugar-free chocolate. Innovation should continue, particularly for sugar-free non-chocolate candy offerings.

5. Opportunities exist to promote sugar-free candy throughout the year (not just during holidays) and to create more opportunities for in-store and online impulse purchases.

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