Amid the twin trends of emotional value and growing health awareness, brands need to respond to consumers’ desire to control sweetness, reshape category perceptions and achieve standout via differentiation.
Cara Liu, Principal Analyst, China Insights
Market Definitions
This Report explores the development of the sugar and chocolate confectionery market in China, purchase and consumption patterns, and consumer interest in certain product features, providing a reference for companies engaged in marketing and product development.
Sugar confectionery in this report refers to the definitions of sugar confectionery and gummies set out in the national food safety standard GB 17399-2016. Chocolate refers to chocolate,chocolate made with cocoa butter substitute and chocolate products as defined in the national food safety standard GB 9678.2-2014. The market sizes and forecasts in this Report cover all imported and locally produced sugar and chocolate confectionery sold in the China market through online and offline retail channels including both physical and online business-to-consumer (B2C) retailers.
Mintel defines the following groups of sugar and chocolate confectionery consumers according to consumption frequency:
- Consumers who eat sugar or chocolate confectionery once a day or more are considered high frequency consumers
- Consumers who eat these products several times a week or 2-6 times a week are considered medium frequency consumers
- Consumers who eat sugar or chocolate confectionery products once a week or less are considered low frequency consumers
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Executive summary
- Key issues in this Report
- Definitions
- What you need to know
- Key market indicators
- Appeal of traditional sweets weakens, while chocolate and functional candy offer more growth potential
- Graph 1: consumption frequency of sugar and chocolate confectionery – once a day or more, 2025
- Graph 2: new sugar and chocolate confectionery launches, by sub-category, 2019-25
- Core user profiles
- Drivers and opportunities
- What we think
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Market dynamics
- Market size and forecast
- In an era of low overall growth, there is still room for growth in the sugar and chocolate confectionery market
- Graph 3: best- and worst-case forecast of retail value sales of sugar and chocolate confectionery, 2019-29
- Emotional premiums will be the main growth driver for chocolate
- Graph 4: best- and worst-case forecast of retail value sales of chocolate, 2019-29
- Candy no longer equals sugar, so sweets and gum need a post-sugar makeover
- Graph 5: best- and worst-case forecast of retail value sales of sugar confectionery (including chewing gum), 2019-29
- Sugar confectionery still sluggish, as gum shows growth
- Graph 6: retail value sales of chewing gum, 2019-24
- Graph 7: retail value sales of sugar confectionery, 2019-24
- New product trends
- New product development slows, particularly in the sweets and gum categories
- New product launches are the main driver of chocolate innovation
- Graph 8: new sugar and chocolate confectionery launches, by sub-category, 2023-25
- Mint innovation continues to slow, as gum development stays steady
- Graph 9: new sugar and gum confectionery launches, by sub-category, 2019-25
- Changes in consumption
- Rising volumes vs falling frequencies: consumption of sweets and chocolate plateaus
- Graph 10: consumption frequency of sugar confectionery, 2023-25
- Graph 11: consumption frequency of chocolate, 2023-25
- Mints are emerging in Tier 1 cities, while development in low-tier markets lags slightly
- Graph 12: penetration across sugar confectionery categories, 2023-25
- Younger generation, larger families lead consumption opportunities in sweets
- Graph 13: consumption frequency of sugar and chocolate confectionery, by age, family structure and living situation, 2025
- Parents of children, high-income families have high purchase rates of sweets and chocolate
- Graph 14: purchase rate of sugar and chocolate confectionery, by age, family structure, living situation, age of children in the household and monthly household income, 2025
- Market factors
- Sweets, chocolate consumption remains resilient, brands need to balance cost pressures with risk of rising prices
- Graph 15: trading up/down in snacks, 2024
- Leverage falling sugar prices to accelerate reduced sugar upgrades
- Graph 16: Sugar content consideration of packaged foods, 2024
- Chocolate brands need to respond to soaring costs and premiumisation trends
- Graph 17: cocoa prices (no seasonal adjustment), 2023-25
- Consolidate consumption in children’s market in response to double impact of falling marriage, birth rates
- Graph 18: population age structure, 2019-23
- Graph 19: number of marriage registrations and birth rate, 2019-24
- Brands
- Most leading companies grow market share, market concentration increases
- Three Squirrels lead in breaking new ground, Godiva spurs ahead, Freshippo, Aldi impress
- Major players dominate Tmall, as new brands focus on Douyin
- Company highlights
- Consumers of sweets and chocolate look for instant gratification, while chocolate enthusiasts favour social media, premium channels
- Graph 20: sweet snack purchase channels for daily consumers, by type of sweet snack consumed daily, 2025
- Labels, imports important for chocolate category; regional flavours, little-known brands offer new trends in sweets
- Graph 21: preferred brand of sweet snack, by type of sweet snack consumed daily, 2025
- New private label launches of sweets, chocolates surge on value for money advantage
- Graph 22: average unit price of new sugar confectionery and chocolate products, by private label brand, 2019-25
- Graph 23: average price of new sugar confectionery and chocolate products, by private label brand, 2019-25
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What consumers want and why
- Taste, health claims get attention, with price and reputation also valued
- Graph 24: sweet snack purchase factors for daily consumers, by type of sweet snack consumed daily, 2025
- New developments in flavour and texture link to consumer emotions, developing the sensory economy
- Fruit flavours dominate sweets category, nut flavours visibly gain momentum
- Graph 25: leading flavour subgroups in new sugar confectionery and gum products, 2022-25
- Take inspiration from superfoods and nut snacks to create new confectionery flavours
- Dark and milk chocolate neck and neck, as white chocolate’s share of new launches starts to shrink
- Graph 26: new chocolate launches, by type, 2019-25
- Nuts top chocolate flavours with pistachio the new favourite, as berry and dairy flavours follow close behind
- Graph 27: leading flavour subgroups in new chocolate launches, 2022-25
- Boost milky notes, collide with sour candy to push the limits of chocolate-plus flavour combos
- Chewy is top candy texture, with crunchy on the rise and gooey breaking through
- Graph 28: leading texture claims in new sugar confectionery and gum launches, 2022-25
- Crunchy, smooth and melt-in-the-mouth are now key chocolate textures
- Graph 29: leading texture claims in new chocolate product launches, 2022-25
- Cherish sweet moments to tap into emotional value
- Graph 30: attitudes towards sweet snacks, by type of sweet snack consumed daily, 2025
- Whether as sweet moments of connection, stress relief or a personal statement, sweets and chocolate are deeply bound up with emotion
- Graph 31: sweet snack consumption purpose for daily consumers, by type of sweet snack consumed daily, 2025
- Embrace the sensory economy with tastes, textures to meet emotional needs
- Graph 32: preferences among daily consumers of sweet snacks – seeking excitement, by type of sweet snack consumed daily, 2025
- New sugar confectionery, gum launches highlight changing flavours, textures
- New chocolate launches respond to emotional needs
- From reducing the sweetness burden to highlighting the value of ingredients: a new approach to healthy flavours
- Category most hampered by ‘too sweet’ image
- ‘Too sweet’ more off-putting than ‘unhealthy’: brands need to respond to consumers’ sweetness fatigue
- Graph 33: consumption barriers for sweets and chocolate, by consumption barrier, 2025
- Examples of sweets and chocolates with reduced sweetness
- Expand substitutes to core categories, diversify use occasions, while giving consumers back the power to limit sweetness
- Graph 34: substitutes for sugar and chocolate confectionery, by age, 2025
- Salty snacks, ingredientisation offer new room for growth
- Hand consumers the power to control their own sugar intake and sweetness level
- Graph 35: attitudes towards sweet snacks, by type of sweet snacks consumed daily, 2025
- Synergise healthy innovations with fortified, lightly processed, lower-guilt chocolate
- Graph 36: sweet snack purchase factors for daily consumers, by type of sweet snack consumed daily, 2025
- Sweets get healthy makeover with reduced sugar, fortification, zero trans fats claims
- Graph 37: leading health claims in new sugar confectionery and gum launches, 2022-25
- Healthier chocolate: focus on zero trans fat, low sugar, light processing claims
- Graph 38: leading health claims in new chocolate product launches, 2022-25
- Diversify ingredients to cater to health trend, highlight consumers’ sense of product value
- Graph 39: healthy snack ingredients, by type of sweet snacks consumed daily, 2025
- Add dried fruit for a new take on healthy sweets, chocolate
- Graph 40: consumption barriers for sweets and chocolate, by substitute product, 2025
- New sweets, chocolate products actively incorporate healthy ingredients
- Enhance everyday intimacy, experiences of beauty with a new ecosystem of caring gifts
- Meet diverse leisure, social connection and self-care needs
- Graph 41: consumption occasions for sugar and chocolate confectionery – net, 2025
- Traditional confectionery is bound up with happy occasions, while gum, mints unlock social occasions outside the home
- Graph 42: purchase purpose of sugar and chocolate confectionery – personal consumption, 2025
- Chocolate spans everyday occasions and premium gifting, functional candy is top healthy choice
- Graph 43: purchase purpose of sugar and chocolate confectionery – gifting to others, 2025
- Festive occasions dominate in gifts of sweets and chocolate, boosted by everyday gifting
- Graph 44: interest in sweets and chocolate gifting occasions, 2025
- Tap into mints’ potential as travel souvenirs, gifts
- Graph 45: average number of gifting occasions for sweets and chocolates that consumers are interested in, by high-frequency consumption type, 2025
- Graph 46: interest in gifting occasions for sweets and chocolates – domestic travel souvenirs, by high-frequency consumption type, 2025
- Add an element of surprise to gifts of sweets and chocolate with playful packaging
- Graph 47: gift packaging preferences – fun, creative designs, by festive food selection preference, 2023
- Health, nutrition and fun go hand-in-hand to shape ‘smart enjoyment’ appeal of children’s products
- From festive gifts to everyday care, sweets and chocolate are still a sweet essential for children
- Key purchase factors in children’s market: households with multiple children look for kid-pleasers, while high-income families prefer functional products
- Graph 48: purchase purpose of sugar and chocolate confectionery – for children, by monthly household income and family structure, 2025
- Sugar anxiety means confectionery loses ground as children’s snack
- Graph 49: consumption frequency of children’s snacks, 2024
- Children-specific sweets and chocolate more likely to be seen as healthy; focus on nutritional fortification claims
- Graph 50: categories of food and drink purchased for children, 2023
- Upgrade children’s sweets, chocolate with clean claims and precise nutrition
- Graph 51: attributes with the potential for premium positioning – snacks, by foods for extra meals, 2024
- New products respond to fortification trend, but reduced sugar claims still need attention
- Graph 52: leading health and functional claims in new children’s sweets and chocolate products, 2019-25
- Fun food education activities create new family interaction occasions
- Graph 53: product features attractive to parents – children’s food and drinks, by foods for extra meals, 2024
- Graph 54: preferences for gift package – children, by preferences in festive food selection, 2023
- Examples of new sugar confectionery products that enhance children’s physical and mental health
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Appendix – market size and forecast, research methodology and abbreviations
- Market size and forecast
- Methodology: consumer survey
- Flavourscape AI: interpreting the map
- TURF analysis methodology
- Abbreviations
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