Global Confectionery Flexible Packaging Market - 2023-2030

Overview

Global Confectionery Flexible Packaging Market reached US$ 5.41 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach US$ 9.64 billion by 2030, growing with a CAGR of 7.5% during the forecast period 2023-2030.

Confectionery products are mostly chosen as snacking options among the global population. Product packaging always plays an important role in the product success. Sustainable and edible packaging has been in great demand recently. Developments in the edible packaging range, such as rice wafer paper for use in chocolates and candies wraps, can be a wide opportunity for the expansion of the market.

Packaging materials manufacturers are introducing new and sustainable materials into their packaging firms to meet the rising demand for environmentally friendly packaging materials. Global customers are ready to pay extra for sustainable packaging. For instance, according to the Environmental Defense Fund organisation, 82% of consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable packaging, based on a 2023 survey of 9,000 consumers across Europe, North America and South America.

Confectionery companies are already taking up paper and other sustainable packaging options. Some major confectionery companies, such as Mars and Nestle, stated going sustainable by 2025. The approach of reusable and recyclable flexible packaging habits in the confectionery flexible packaging sector fuels the market size growth. The technological developments in the packaging machinery and advancements in the technological parameters of flexible packaging expand these materials' use at the industrial level.

Dynamics

Increasing Snacking Habits

Rising snacking habits have a positive impact on the packaging of the products. Chocolates, candies and gums are popular confectionery snacks due to their taste and health benefits. The changing consumer preference towards convenient confectionery snacks boosts the demand for confectionery products. The rising adoption of snacking habits by people positively impacts the market growth, due to the high use of flexible packaging for product protection and convenient transportation.

Mondelez International, the Harris Poll and Nextatlas conducted a Global Consumer Trends Study and released the State of Snacking Report 2021. The survey was conducted among thousands of consumers across 12 countries. It stated that consumers are replacing meals with snacks, with 64% reporting replacing at least one meal with a snack. 85% of global consumers eat at least one snack for sustenance and 1 snack for indulgence each day.

Confectionery products are available in various package forms. Films and wraps are used to hold various confectionery products together for their easy transport and distribution facilities. Gums and jellies are made available to customers in pouches and sachets. The laminate structure of confectionery products helps the product to stand out in the market. For all the needs, flexible packaging is primarily used. The beneficial properties provide protection and attractive appeal to the product, driving the market growth.

Significant Role of Packaging in Confectionery

Packaging material has a great role in protecting the product from the external environment. According to the NIH publication about cereal and confectionary packaging background, application and shelf-life extension, intrinsic and extrinsic factors influence the quality of confectionery and its shelf-life.

The packaging itself acts as a separator between intrinsic and extrinsic systems. The publication also explained the four basic functions of food packaging including containment, protection, convenience and communication. Candies and chocolates need protection from moisture and contamination. Packaging helps preserve the product's freshness, maintain its quality throughout and extend the shelf life. The taste and texture of the confectionery product can be highly dependent on the packaging.

The greater efficiency of flexible packaging makes it a greater option for packaging in the confectionery industry. Flexible packaging requires less energy for its manufacturing and transport requirements. It protects the products from external factors and also adds attractive finishing that helps in displaying the product well to the customers. The growing preference for flexible packaging in the confectionery industry drives market growth.

Environmental Concerns of Some Flexible Packaging Materials

The global confectionery flexible packaging market is negatively affected because of the rising environmental concerns due to high plastic use. The confectionery industry uses various plastics types, such as polyethene and polypropylene, which are built-in with micro and macroplastics and cause many types of pollution. Globally many public awareness campaigns and activities are taking place to reduce the use of plastic.

Governments and international organisations are publishing standards and regulations on the use of plastics. The decreased plastic use in confectionery flexible packaging hinders market growth. The raw materials such as plastic films and wraps used for confectionery flexible packaging suffer from constant raw material price fluctuations.

Segment Analysis

The global confectionery flexible packaging market is segmented based on packaging type, material, application, end-use and region.

High Demand for Sustainable Pacakging

The global confectionery flexible packaging market is segmented based on the packaging material into aluminium foil, plastic and paper. The paper segment is expected to receive immense popularity due to the increasing adoption of environmentally friendly and sustainable packaging in the confectionery field. Paper and paperboard are widely used in bulk and consumer packaging sectors of confectionery.

Plastic has an immense impact on the environment by creating pollution to various natural valuables. Growing demand for convenient and sustainable packaging options drives the segment growth. With increased public concerns about plastic packaging, manufacturers are considering paper packaging for various products. There is an increasing use of paper-based material for multiple product packaging. For instance, in January 2002, Amcor Plc introduced paper-based packaging to their product line.

Mondelez International, The Harris Poll and Nextatlas conducted a Global Consumer Trends Study and released the State of Snacking Report 2021. The study also revealed that consumers say the number one environmental consideration in their food selection is the availability of low waste 78%. Majorities of consumers either buy or would like to buy snacks that have low waste (88%) and easily recyclable packaging (87%).

Geographical Penetration

Growing Demand for Packaged Food Products

North American region held the largest share of the global confectionery flexible packaging market. The busy lifestyles of people contribute to the greater consumption of packed food products. Confectionery products such as chocolate and candies have a greater demand among all age group people in this region.

Increased snacking confectionery snacking habits in this region, drive the market growth. According to the National Confectioners Association, an American trade organization, in 2022, confectionery such as chocolate and candy were subjected to an increase of 11.1 % more sales than in 2021. Chocolate held the largest segment of sales and received around $ 18 billion in sales, followed by the non-chocolate category.

More production and sales of confectionery products need packaging material to release the product into the market. The high demand for economic and sustainable packaging for confectionery products is attributed to the larger flexible packaging market share of this region. Many competitive manufacturers of flexible packaging materials are available in North America. The technological advancements emerging from this field boost this region's market growth.

Competitive Landscape

The major global players in the market include Cargill, ADM, Evershining Materials Company, COFCO, Hamlet Proteins, Bunge, Louis Dreyfus, Wilmar International, Ingredion Incorporated and Sojaprotein.

COVID-19 Impact Analysis

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic moderately impacted the global confectionery flexible packaging market. The pandemic resulted in the lockdown conditions. The confectionery industries received a halt in the production of products due to limited raw material facilities and other resources. The decreased production also reduced the demand for flexible packaging materials.

The drop in sales of confectionery products due to decreased supply chain and distribution facilities also impacted the product packing material market. The import and export restrictions in distributing packaging materials from manufacturers to end-user industries reduced market demand. Further, the higher demand for packed food products during the pandemic increased market sales.

Flexible packaging materials have a greater demand in packed confectionery products. The rising consumption of packaged food, in turn, had a positive impact on the confectionery flexible packaging market. The increased environmental concerns raised the demand for sustainable, flexible paper and bioplastics packaging demand in the confectionery sector.

Russia- Ukraine War Impact

The Russia-Ukraine war had a negative impact on every field of the food industry, including the confectionery sector. The war hyped up all the expenses and product prices. Many companies faced a scarcity of raw materials and other resources for product production. Raw material prices were increased heavily. The disturbance in the product negatively impacted the packaging industries.

Packaging industries had a hard time dealing with the interrupted trade processes. The negative impact of the supply chain activities and international trade holding limited the packaging materials industry. Some major confectionery manufacturers, such as Mars, which were actively working in Russia, had a major halt in their production and distribution of confectionery products, causing a bad impact on the confectionery flexible packaging market.

By Packaging Type

• Films & Wraps
• Pouches
• Sachets & Stick Packs
• Tubes
• Laminates
• Others

By Material

• Aluminum Foil
• Plastics
  • PE
  • PP
  • PET
  • PVC
  • PA
  • EVOH
  • Bioplastics
  • Others
• Paper
• Others

By Application

• Chocolate
• Candy& Toffees
• Gum
• Jelly
• Snacks Bars
• Biscuits
• Others

By End-Use

• Food Industries
• Retail Stores
• Others

By Region

• North America
  • U.S.
  • Canada
  • Mexico
• Europe
  • Germany
  • UK
  • France
  • Italy
  • Russia
  • Rest of Europe
• South America
  • Brazil
  • Argentina
  • Rest of South America
• Asia-Pacific
  • China
  • India
  • Japan
  • Australia
  • Rest of Asia-Pacific
• Middle East and Africa

Key Developments

• In February 2023, Schubert Group, a packaging machines manufacturer, introduced a sustainable packaging solution for confectionery manufacturers.
• In October 2022, Nestle Confectionery announced its use of sustainable paper packaging for its Quality Street and KitKat brands.
• In May 2022, the Italian Cama Group, an automated packaging machine manufacturer, helped bring up a technological revolution in packaging by introducing a new and advanced confectionery packaging machinery at IPACK-IMA.

Why Purchase the Report?

• To visualize the global confectionery flexible packaging market segmentation based on packaging type, material, application, end-use and region, as well as understand key commercial assets and players.
• Identify commercial opportunities by analyzing trends and co-development.
• Excel data sheet with numerous data points of confectionery flexible packaging market-level with all segments.
• PDF report consists of a comprehensive analysis after exhaustive qualitative interviews and an in-depth study.
• Product mapping available as excel consisting of key products of all the major players.

The global confectionery flexible packaging market report would provide approximately 69 tables, 75 figures and 189 Pages.

Target Audience 2023

• Manufacturers/ Buyers
• Industry Investors/Investment Bankers
• Research Professionals
• Emerging Companies