Category
Lifestyle
Assisted Choices
Trend cluster
Category
Naturalistic
Confection
Health transforms from anti-sugar to anti-chemical.
2.1
Trend score
Trend
What is the Naturalistic Confection trend?
Naturalistic Confection: In previous years, "sugar-free" was the go-to health movement in the candy industry. The downside is this movement called for sugar <i>alternatives</i>, many of which were chemical-laden. This resulted in an eventual backlash in keeping with the rise of the organic movement in other food categories, which has subsequently impacted the candy industry via naturalistic candy. This highlights a strategy for anticipating opportunity that proposes a timeline-based approach to current trends.
Trend themes
Themes within the Naturalistic Confection trend
Three behaviours holding the trend together01
Natural and Organic Ingredients
Consumers desire all-natural and organic ingredients in their candies, which has pushed candy brands to switch from artificial ingredients to natural ones.
02
Functional Ingredients
Consumers want candies with ingredients that provide functional benefits such as aiding digestion, detoxifying, and boosting energy levels, driving innovation for unique flavor profiles with added health benefits.
03
Transparency and Clean Labels
Consumers are demanding transparency and seeking clean labels with recognizable ingredients, leading confectionery brands to increase the transparency of their ingredients and printing clean and easy-to-understand labels on their products.
Industry implications
What the Naturalistic Confection trend means for industry
Where the trend changes the playbookFor
Food and Beverage
The food and beverage industry should consider the addition of natural and organic ingredients, functional ingredients, and transparent labeling to their product lineups, especially in the confectionery sector.
For
Packaging
The packaging industry can leverage the demand for natural and organic ingredients and clean labeling by producing packaging that highlights these features to appeal to health-conscious consumers.
For
Retail
Retailers can capitalize on the consumer demand for healthier candies by stocking natural and organic confectionery products with functional ingredients that boast clean and transparent packaging.
Workshop question
What is the current fad in your industry, and how could its eventual downfall benefit -- or harm -- your brand?
Trend signals
Trend signals for Naturalistic Confection
Trend score 2.1 out of 10, from popularity 27%, activity 28%, freshness 8%.
Popularity27%
Activity28%
Freshness8%
Audience
50%Men
50%Women
- Gen Alpha
- Gen Z
- Millennial
- Gen X
- Boomer (not a primary audience)
Market
North America
Evidence
Examples of the Naturalistic Confection trend
5 featured examples from Oct 17 to Oct 18, 2017CategoryLifestyle
Chocolate-Covered Quinoa Candies
UNREAL's Treats Feature Candy-Coated Quinoa and Dark Chocolate
The confectionery industry can benefit from offering better-for-you candy options and providing consumers with transparency on ingredients and allergen-free sweets.
CategoryLifestyle
Coconut-Based Candies
The Nutiva O'Coconut Organic Coconut Treats Have a Natural Recipe
Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop innovative organic food products and snacks that prioritize health and sustainability.
CategoryLifestyle
All-Natural Ginger Chews
Gem Gem's Candy Offers a Sweet Way to Receive the Benefits of Ginger
The natural candy industry can capitalize on the trend of using natural ingredients to create healthy snack alternatives.
CategoryLifestyle
Natural Candy Corn Treats
Sweet's Candy Corn is Naturally Flavored and Free from Artificial Dyes
The candy manufacturing industry can adopt the trend of dye-free candy and create natural confections that attract health-conscious consumers.
CategoryLifestyle
All-Organic Fruit Candies
GoOrganic Hard Candy Offers a Taste of Exotic Natural Fruit Flavors
The confectionery industry can innovate by developing new products with all-organic and natural ingredients, catering to consumers' growing health-consciousness.
