US confectionery hit a record $55B in 2025 — heading to $62.2B by 2030
Americans drove a record $55 billion in confectionery sales in 2025, with 99.8% of households buying at least once; NCA projects another $7.3B of growth to $62.2B across all outlets by 2030.
National Confectioners Association · as of December 31, 2025 ·
verify source →NCA press release for the 2026 State of Treating report (survey of 1,585 consumers Dec 2025 overlaid with Circana retail/receipt-panel data; projections by Euromonitor); $55B, $62.2B, and 99.8% all appear in the first two paragraphs.
Non-chocolate candy now 40.9% of confectionery — up from one-third in 2015
Gummy, chewy and freeze-dried candy are driving the shift: non-chocolate grew from one-third of confectionery market share in 2015 to 40.9% in 2025, with Gen Z and Millennials over-indexing on exactly those formats.
National Confectioners Association · as of December 31, 2025 ·
verify source →Same NCA 2026 State of Treating press release, "Generational growth" bullet: non-chocolate "growing from one-third of market share in 2015 to 40.9% in 2025"; Gen Z/Millennials over-index for gummy, chewy, and freeze-dried candies.
Dye-free candy gains a built-in edge as FDA Red No. 3 exits food by Jan 15, 2027
The FDA revoked authorization for FD&C Red No. 3 in food on Jan 15, 2025, naming candy first among affected products, with a reformulation deadline of Jan 15, 2027 — a structural tailwind for candy that is already dye-free.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration · as of January 15, 2025 ·
verify source →Official FDA constituent update: revocation under the Delaney Clause; candy named first in the affected-products list; "Manufacturers who use FD&C Red No. 3 in food will have until January 15, 2027 to reformulate."
Halloween 2025: record $13.1B total spend, $3.9B on candy alone
NRF's annual Halloween survey put 2025 spending at a record $13.1 billion, with candy the #1 activity (66% of celebrants hand it out) and total candy spending of $3.9 billion.
National Retail Federation · as of October 31, 2025 ·
verify source →NRF's official Halloween data page (annual consumer survey by Prosper Insights & Analytics): "record $13.1 billion" in the lede; "Total spending on candy is expected to reach $3.9 billion" and "handing out candy (66%)" in the 2025 highlights list.
YumEarth: ~30,000 retail doors including Target, Whole Foods, Walmart, Kroger and Sprouts
Organic, top-9-allergen-free and free of artificial dyes, YumEarth sells through approximately 30,000 retail doors nationwide — and on June 30, 2026 was acquired by PE firm ACON Investments with global confectioner Fini as strategic partner, backing its next growth phase.
ACON Investments · as of June 30, 2026 ·
verify source →Official acquisition press release (PRNewswire via ACON's site): "sold both online and through approximately 30,000 retail doors including Target, Whole Foods, Walmart, Kroger and Sprouts" in para 2; allergen/dye claims same paragraph.
