Gummy candy has been a consumer favourite for decades and the market continues to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 4% between 2018 and 2022.1 However, to maintain the momentum of growth in the industry as consumers’ needs and demands evolve, producers must innovate their product offering to retain or gain market share. Here, we look at the top three trends in the gummy market to help manufacturers do just that:
Consumers are increasingly aware of the role nutrition can play in maintaining or improving their health and wellbeing, leading to a rising number of people changing their diets to reflect this new-found consciousness. Products with reduced sugar levels are, for example, taking centre stage on a global scale. In fact, recent research found that healthy eating is important to 90% of consumers worldwide, while 44% of people surveyed associate the term ‘healthy’ with ‘low in sugar’.2,3 49% of consumers are, as a result, actively trying to limit their sugar intake.4
As consumers continue to grow more health-aware, the popularity of nutraceutical gummies is likely to skyrocket over the next few years.5 An alternative to traditional dietary supplement capsules, functional gummies are perceived to be more convenient as they combine functionality and indulgence, and appeal to a broad range of consumer personas. The sports nutrition segment is, for instance, increasingly adopting gummy delivery formats to provide athletes and sports enthusiasts with their daily protein boost.
Today’s discerning consumers also increasingly want to understand what is in the products they consume, driving growth in the healthy confectionery market and fuelling demand for clean label products. Predominantly an industry-led term, ‘clean label’ describes consumer demand for products with fewer, more natural and easily recognisable ingredients. While 40% of consumers globally believe clean label products to be free from artificial ingredients, 37% associate it with terms such as ‘natural’ or ‘organic’.6 As 66% of consumers worldwide consider naturalness important when choosing a brand or product, gummy producers must incorporate clean labels into product development to cater to the demands of today’s discerning consumers.7
Populations globally are more adventurous than ever before, with younger generations willing to experiment with new, bold flavours. In fact, 33% and 31% of Millennials and Gen Z respectively, are frequently trying new or different confectionery goods.8 Highly versatile, gummies are an ideal product for manufacturers to test the boundaries of novel, innovative flavours. We continue to see a rise in sweet, spicy and sour taste profiles, created with floral and herbal ingredients that appeal to health-aware consumers. A great example is Skittles’ Flower Fruit China, which is available in five flavours — rose grape, rose peach, rose lychee, jasmine grapefruit and jasmine passion fruit.
Social media plays an important part in most individuals’ lives, with 41% of consumers globally regularly accessing social media to stay up-to-date with brand news and updates.9 While this presents an opportunity for gummy producers to reach a large number of people quickly, easily and cost-effectively, the challenge lies in developing gummies that are visually pleasing and photogenic to stand out in a crowded market place. This can, for example, be achieved through creating gummies with exciting textures, such as 3D formats, and appealing colours.
Understanding and incorporating these trends into product development is crucial for gummy producers to not just meet consumer demand, but to drive innovation and secure the future of the industry. To find out how the latest flexible confectionery processing solutions can help you turn challenges into opportunities to capitalise on the growing demand for healthier, clean label gummies with bold taste and texture profiles, download our latest whitepaper.
[1] Global Jelly Candies (Gummies) Market 2018-2022, ‘Evolving Opportunities with Cloetta & Ferrero’, Technavio, Business Wire https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191113005569/en/Global-Jelly-Candies-Gummies-Market-2018-2022-Evolving
[2] GlobalData, Q1 2017, global consumer survey
[3] GlobalData, Q3 2016, global consumer survey
[4] GlobalData, Q3 2016, global consumer survey
[5] Mintel, 2016 Vitamins, Minerals and Supplements Report
[6] GlobalData, Q4 2017, global consumer survey
[7] GlobalData, Q4 2016, global consumer survey
[8] GlobalData, Q3 2018, global consumer survey
[9] GlobalData, Q4 2017, global consumer survey
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