September 24, 2025 – Sugar confectionery is a popular segment of the food and beverage market in North America. Nearly half of all consumers in the US and Canada say they treat themselves to sugar confectionery products as part of their daily routine. Therefore, to retain a competitive edge in this saturated category, brands must evolve to address consumers’ growing expectations. Creating unexpected flavors and textures, showcasing local ingredients, and targeting mental health and mood management are just some of the transformations taking over the category. Innova’s “Trending in Sugar Confectionary in the US & Canada” report dives into the trends influencing the US and Canadian sugar confectionery market to uncover what’s next.
Daily Treats
According to Innova’s consumer research, 1 in 2 consumers in the US and Canada purchase sugar confectionery products on during an average grocery store visit. The top three purchasing drivers are for their taste, as a treat or reward, or to boost happiness. In fact, 35% of consumers in the US and Canada choose smaller treats for everyday indulgence. Similarly, 1 in 3 US and Canadian consumers report actively seeking edible treats, to boost their happiness or experience a comforting moment. Thus, brands can tap into the relationship between mood and sugar confectionery. Positioning these convenient, portable treats as an accessible, indulgent way to improve consumers’ moods is key.
Multi-Sensory Experiences
1 in 4 consumers point to sensory experience as the most important attribute of an everyday treat. In line with the sugar confectionery trends, brands are not only playing with colors, flavors and shape but also experimenting with texture to add an element of surprise for the consumption experience. For example, multi-textured, peelable fruit candies, candy clusters, and candy puffs are all emerging as game changers in the sugar confectionery market because they offer consumers new sensory experiences. Candy clusters, for instance, provide a crunchy exterior with chewy centers that delight consumers through contrast.
Candy with a Kick
For consumers with a sweet tooth who also want a savory kick, a rising trend in the US and Canadian sugar confectionery market is combining sweet and savory flavors. For example, gummies with spicy coatings are driving innovation, combining fruits like mango and apple with tajin and chamoy. Sugar confectionery trends reveal that sour is another flavor profile that consumers are gravitating towards, as brands highlight “explosions” of flavor. Sour Skittles gummies, Fruit Gushers, and sour gummy worms are a few of the options that “excite and engage the senses” through a mixture of tart and sweet flavor fusions.
Leveraging Local Ingredients
Using local ingredients is another avenue to elevate the sugar confectionery experience for consumers. In Canada, the brand, Kerr’s, is a brand that capitalizes on local, natural ingredients to appeal to consumers. As maple syrup is a national staple, Kerr’s underscores their 130-year history alongside the quality of local ingredients to convey the premium nature of its products. Another example is locally sourced anise, which the brand uses in products like licorice, to convey a message of quality and history.
Artisanal Offerings
There is a growing recognition that the sensory experience for consumers can be enhanced by the idea that great care was taken in crafting a treat. For example, when asked about the most significant drivers of enjoyment and pleasure, 1 in 4 US and Canadian consumers selected “handmade” as the most important factor. Therefore, premium positioning, based on factors such as small-batch production process, handcrafting, and other artisanal qualities will be integral to promoting sugar confectionery products to consumers. Phrases like “artisanal techniques,” “individually packed,” “crafted with love,” and “handmade” all speak to the marketing strategies that brands are using to convey the intentionality of their formulations through quality and care.
Accessible and Enjoyable Nutrition
Sugar confectionery trends show that nearly 40% of Canadian and US consumers rate healthiness as the most important attribute of a daily treat. However, sugar confectionery is often considered “empty calories” and detrimental to health in general. Consequently, brands are leveraging the positive nutritional benefits of their products, often by adding targeted functional ingredients. For example, many fruit snack brands are incorporating dietary fibers for gut health, as well as clean label ingredients like monk fruit for natural sweetness. Brainiac, a US-based brand has gone so far as to introducing fruit snacks made with real fruit juice, omega-3s (EPA/DHA), and choline, which promotes brain health and development.
What’s Next for Sugar Confectionery in the US and Canada?
It is evident that the confectionery market is placing a greater emphasis on ingredient quality, provenance, and processing methods. Thus, brands can expect local ingredients to take center stage in the marketing of future products. Maple syrup, Canadian chokeberries, and the high-quality peppermint produced in the US are some options that will continue to grow. Another avenue for innovation is mental health, as there is a demand for products with both energizing and calming effects. Considering medicated sugar confectionery for cold symptoms is an established market segment, extending confectionery to include mental health is another opportunity for market growth.
This article is based on Innova’s Trending in Sugar Confectionery in the US & Canada report. This report is available to purchase or with an Innova Reports subscription. Reach out to find out more