What's Next in CPG Packaging: Trends from the Confectionary Aisle

This post offers a firsthand look at CPG packaging trends from the desk of our Director of Design R&D. Walking you through what’s next in confectionary packaging and snacks—from the rise of non-chocolate, to private label growth, to sustainability shifts.

We're co-packers at creative werks — meaning our clients send us their food product, primarily in the confections and snack space, and we package it for retail sale. That may sound straightforward, but what really sets us apart is right there in our name: Creative.

Unlike a standard co-packer, we have a strong in-house design team and a deeply embedded innovation arm. Creativity is part of our DNA.

You’ve probably seen our work: candy cane tubes and whimsical candy toppers that show up around major holidays. That’s actually how the business started.

I'm Kelly Zelmanski, the Director of Design R&D, overseeing our internal design group, Werkshop Design Group. We conduct our own market research for each major season, gathering data on nearly every SKU in the seasonal aisle across seven different retail channels. Our research is grounded in packaging formats and how they may influence a specific occasion as well as packaging platforms. In addition to our in-house tracking, we leverage insights from the National Confectioner’s Association (NCA), Circana, and Nielsen to stay ahead of trends. We proactively identify specific gaps and opportunities in the seasonal aisle and bring forward concepts tailored to their brand and retail goals.

Here are the trends we’re seeing:

Emerging Packaging Trends in the Confectionary Aisle

Consumers Gravitate Towards Non-Chocolate

Probably not a shock to anyone in the industry, but the price of cocoa is high. In parallel, consumers are gravitating towards non-chocolate offerings (specifically in the gummy category) more than ever. And we see that reflected in the seasonal market as well. 

Packaging Trends - Innovative Carton Solutions 

We’re seeing huge growth in what we call innovative carton solutions. These are foldable boxes made to skew more novelty, like a flower-shaped box for Easter, for instance.

This aligns with the sustainability goals that many of our clients have. And it also aligns with the push for novelty. We’re seeing a push for everything new, new innovations, new flavors, and since cartons in particular don’t require a mold, you can move quickly when it comes to development.

Not Just for Holiday Anymore - Fifth Season Fun 

The four big seasons (Valentine’s Day, Easter, Halloween, and Holiday) represent 62 % of annual sales for the confections category, so there's a lot to discuss in terms of filling that gap we see in the summertime. 

This time in between; the ‘fifth season’, is a trend that we're hearing about more and more, and hopefully retailers get on board with allowing brands to connect with their customers – think red, white, and blue holidays in the summer, and creating excitement around micro-occasions St. Patrick's Day, Mother's Day, and Father’s Day.

There's opportunity to think about how candy and snacking can be included in a specific occasion and what that looks like from a packaging innovation standpoint.

Private Label Growth 

We're seeing huge growth in the market research we're collecting from private label. Private label has always been around, but they're really making their way to the seasonal aisle with novelty packaging.

Typically, seasonal and novelty have been driven by brand loyalty. If you're going to buy a plastic filled egg, you're going to buy it with your favorite product inside. But we're seeing private labels sneak into this category in a really impactful and attractive way. The graphics and packaging formats we’re seeing from Target’s owned brands — Good & Gather and Favorite Day — and even Nice! from Walgreens, look noticeably more elevated.

I think that’s driving a lot of consumer behavior — especially among Millennials, who want to celebrate every occasion but are also highly cost-conscious. Private label brands have done a great job embedding themselves more deeply into the seasonal aisle to meet that demand.
 
It’ll be interesting to watch how that evolves over the next two to three years. The strong presence we saw this past year definitely felt like a strategic push from several private label players.

Where CPG Packaging Innovation Is Headed Next 

My prediction is that novelty and specialty packaging will grow with an emphasis on how packaging can influence occasions. I think we also see a lot of innovation in pack sizes and meeting the consumer at several different price categories to make sure brands are available for every occasion, including playing with ounce weights.

Sustainability is also a huge part of where packaging is going to take us. All of our clients are big CPG companies with lofty goals. I think things are starting to shift slowly but surely. It’s ever changing and evolving, but we're excited to see what's next.

We’re hearing a ton about innovation in terms of incremental sales and supporting the core. Brands are really thinking about what else they can bring to customer teams to drive some excitement in order to support the core or ideally come out with something that is going to be an amazing innovation. 

That's going to be in everyday, like the nerds gummy,  the best innovation that's come out of confections in maybe a decade. It's about thinking holistically about innovation and understanding what today’s consumer is looking for. More than ever, consumers are open to trying new things—but they're also highly cost-conscious. So it’s all about striking the right balance.

How creative werks Helps CPG Brands Co-Pack and Innovate Through Packaging

I think many times when we hear innovation within food product, we think product innovation, like flavor or shape, which is great and needs to continue, but we can partner by leading in our brand partners in packaging innovation.

We consider ourselves seasonal experts—it's a space we truly live in, from concept through design to final production. This deep focus allows us to act as strategic partners to our clients, not just executors. By working with major CPG marketing teams, we deliver strategic, consumer-focused design that’s grounded in market research and — importantly— built for operational feasibility and price-point accuracy.
 
That’s what makes us different from a typical design agency. We’re embedded within a co-packer, with deep knowledge of how things run. So when a brand says they need a $5 Easter basket centerpiece, we deliver packaging concepts that meet that goal upfront, from labor and material costs all the way to tray layout and pallet configuration.

For many of our clients, we conduct annual ideation sessions, which we call Idea Labs. We facilitate these sessions, and the sessions are grounded in packaging formats, occasion, and price categories that help drive strategic pipeline planning. Interested in learning more? → Reach out to Werkshop Design Group today.