The confectionery industry is comprised of two segments: flour-based confectionery and sugar confectionery. Both categories are characterized by the use of a significant amount of sugar and sugar substitutes. Confectionery is generally low in micronutrients like vitamins and minerals, but rich in calories and carbohydrates. Chocolate confectionery falls under sugar confectionery but is occasionally treated as its own category. Sugar confectionery includes candies, gum, and sometimes ice cream.
U.S. market size and segments
Bakers’ or flour confections such as preserved pastry goods and cakes account for the second-largest share of the
U.S. confectionery market. The category generated a revenue of 81 billion U.S. dollars in 2022. The second-largest segment of the confectionery market is chocolate, valued at almost 52 billion U.S. dollars. Other sugar confections accounted for a revenue of close to 36 billion dollars, leaving about 18 billion dollars to the ice cream segment. Chocolate bars are the top seller in the
chocolate confectionery category. For other
sugar confectionery, the leading category is pastilles, gummies, jellies, and chews.
Companies and brands
Hershey and Mars are the two leading companies in the
U.S. confectionery market. Taken together, they control about 45 percent of the market. Consequently, both companies rank high in top lists for
sales of chocolate and
sugar confectionery. Another company that generates billions of sales in sugar confectionery (excluding chocolate confectionery) is Ferrero. It ranks third in confectionery market share. All three companies regularly
launch new products in the U.S. market. As a chocolate brand, Hershey’s performs better in
brand awareness than similar chocolate products. Approximately 69 percent of Americans who eat chocolate
eat the Hershey's brand.
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