U.S. retailers and manufacturers are facing a sea change of shopper behavior, presenting a new wave of opportunity for growth and introducing new players to the confectionery space. E-commerce was already expanding before the pandemic, but delivery and store pick-up exploded as Americans limited their contact outside the home.
Sugarfree Is a U.S. Growth Leader in Chocolate, Results Mixed in Non-Chocolate
In the United States, chocolate had a solid 2020 with sales gains accelerating further in 2021. One of the contributors to growth has been sugarfree chocolate, which seems to be uniquely positioned to continue to grow in the U.S. market. While only about 1.4 percent of total U.S. chocolate sales, the U.S. sugarfree sector managed 27.4 percent growth in dollars and 19 percent in pounds, according to data from Information Resources, Inc. (IRI).
Optimizing E-Commerce for the New Behaviors of American Consumers
Today, the line between digital and physical shopping experiences is disappearing in the United States, and omnichannel commerce, once thought to be the future of shopping, is here. If companies want to keep up with the changing behaviors of American consumers, the metrics and best practices from yesterday’s e-commerce strategies must now be foundational for a consumer-driven, omnichannel commerce experience.
