Latest update: 13 March 2026
The confectionery market is traditionally divided into candy, chocolate, pastilles and chewing gum. Cloetta is active in all these categories, as well as in the nuts category in the Pick & mix business segment.
The confectionery market
The total market for confectionery in Cloetta’s main markets in Europe amount to approximately SEK 397bn (387). The confectionery market is relatively insensitive to economic fluctuations and shows stable growth that is driven primarily by population trends and price increases.
Consumption patterns
Confectionery is one of the most impulse driven categories in the retail trade. Up to 80 per cent of purchasing decisions are made at the point of sale. Brand awareness, availability, and product placement are significant success factors. The European confectionery market is characterised by relatively strong consumer loyalty to local brands. This ties into drivers like nostalgia and trust as well as security and national pride. Shoppers however rarely buy only one brand but rather tend to have a few brands in their purchasing repertoire. The main considerations when buying are brand liking, flavour, quality, and curiosity about new products.
Consumption patterns and taste preferences vary between the different markets. For example, compared to the rest of Europe, the Nordic region has a higher per capita consumption of confectionery.
Competitive market
The global market for confectionery is dominated by international companies like Mars, Mondelez International, Nestlé, Ferrero, Perfetti Van Melle, Haribo and Lindt & Sprüngli. However, in the local markets these companies meet tough opposition from players with locally established brands such as Cloetta, Fazer, Orkla and Toms. No player is winning in all European markets, but Cloetta is the only company with a strong position in confectionery across all the Nordics.
Pick & mix
The Pick & mix segment has a very strong position in the Nordic countries and accounts for a large share of the total confectionery consumption, while the share of consumption of Pick & mix is considerably lower in Central Europe where packaged candy and chocolate have a stronger position. In Sweden, Pick & mix normally accounts for around 25 per cent of the total confectionery market, while in the other Nordic countries it accounts for 10 to 20 per cent. After volume decline during the Covid-19 pandemic, Pick & mix has recovered well with strong growth in the years 2022 to 2025.
The nut market
In 2024, Cloetta divested the Nutisal brand and is now only active in the nut market via the brand Parrots in the Pick & mix business segment. In recent years the category has been declining in volume but growing in value due to price increases and a shift to the premium product category.