Sweets sales: Now is the time for proximity and experiences!

Direct selling (Direct-to-Consumer, D2C) holds many advantages for sweets manufacturers that the traditional sales channels of the retail trade can only offer to a limited extent. However, whereas other industries have long since been contacting customers directly to sell food, according to an article in the "Lebensmittel Zeitung" (Food Newspaper/September 2024) sweets brands often hesitate to adopt this course consistently. The products of many sweets manufacturers may be found in the online shops of REWE, EDEKA and co., however, when it comes down to investments in own e-commerce channels deficits are reported. The manufacturers are thus not only wasting valuable turnover potential, they are also throwing away huge marketing opportunities.

The buying behaviour has changed since the COVID pandemic: Online shopping is booming, sweets trends are being discovered and shared on the social media and are reaching new target groups.

And yet many brands don't attribute the necessary attention to their online shop or their social commerce strategy, but cling on to traditional sales strategies instead. Although the new, digital sales channels offer huge opportunities. In his report entitled "The Digital State of Sweets Industry" (March 2024), the e-food expert, Matthias Shu, analysed over 100 online shops in the DACH region. It showed that the digital sweets trade is indeed recording growth, but that it isn't exploiting the existing opportunities by far. According to Statista Market Insights, the e-commerce share in 2025 is 7.6 percent. Shu's forecast: An estimated 10 percent of the turnover will be achieved online by 2030. So, there is still a lot of potential for sweets brands that want to position themselves as direct selling pioneers.

More control over the prices and sales strategies, less independence on the classic retail trade: The reasons for selling sweets directly are clear. But how can one gain a successful foothold on the direct selling market? Here are five tips for sweets manufacturers, who want to generate more turnover via direct selling, strengthen customer loyalty and make their brand more visible on the market.

An own webshop is more than just a sales channel – it is the display window for the brand and offers the ideal opportunity to present one's own product range in a unique way. The brand experience can be individually designed in a totally different way to the stationary trade. The direct customer address and a uniform brand image create trust and strengthen the bond. The own shop is the perfect platform to accentuate the special highlights of the brand and whisk the customers off on a personal journey. A further advantage: Without intermediaries the companies yield more profits, which enables additional investments in marketing, production development or customer experiences.

Social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram offer enormous potential to interact with the target group in a playful way and thus increase the brand awareness. Millions of people, who are impressed by extraordinary taste experiences and creative product presentations, can be reached by creative campaigns and viral contents. Today, the social media is a platform for brands that present their products vibrantly and tangibly and thus guide their community from the social media channels directly to their online shop.

A strong community is a valuable asset for the successful direct selling of sweets. The brand is authentically and positively positioned through committed followers and targeted influencer cooperations. Influencers reach specific target groups and lend the brand a face that creates trust. At the same time, the community offers a platform for feedback and exchange, which enables a closer relationship to the brand and provides valuable insights into the customer's wishes.

Personalised products and an individually designed shopping experience distinguish the brand from conventional trade channels and create added value. Customers appreciate it when they can design products to suit their own preferences – whether in the form of personalised packaging, individual taste combinations or exclusive product variants. This individual touch creates an emotional brand experience that is memorable and strengthens the customer loyalty.

Exclusive products and limited editions create a feeling of uniqueness and arouse the customers' desire. A product range that is only available in one's own online shop promotes return visits and makes the shopping experience special. Limited offers can be conducted effectively with the aid of accompanying campaigns on the social media and ensure that the brand is perceived as being innovative and unique.

Direct selling opens up exciting opportunities to the sweets manufacturers such as interacting directly with their customers and implementing innovative marketing strategies. Brands like Hitschler and Halloren show how versatile and successful D2C approaches can be.

In the year 2017, Philipp Hitschler-Becker joined Hitschies as its Chief Operating Officer – and brought a fresh breeze to the family company. Hitchies have been attracting a great deal of attention on the social media for several years and repeatedly rely on viral trends. This is significantly based on an extensive social commerce strategy in which Hitchler-Becker acts as the brand ambassador himself: The brand has built up a strong community with creative content on TikTok and exclusive products in its own online shop. Viral challenges in the scope of which extremely sour sweets are tested ensure high exposure and guide customers directly to the online shop. At the same time, Hitschler-Becker presents new creations, asks the community about their favourites or wishes and grants insights behind the scenes of the manufacturer so that the followers are always up-to-date, if there is anything new to discover at Hitschies.

Halloren, the oldest chocolate factory in Germany that still produces, has after turbulent years repositioned itself and is now also strongly relying on a modern address via the social media. The company wants to address younger target groups with products like Halloren O's and a fresher packaging design – without detracting from the nostalgia factor of the classic Halloren balls. By sponsoring women's football – for example Borussia Dortmund – and targeted social media campaigns on Instagram and TikTok the awareness of the brand has also been strengthened in West Germany. Parallel to this, Halloren is further expanding the direct sales via its own webshop in addition to the classic retail trade in order to create an independent and closer customer loyalty.

The Direct-to-Consumer approach (D2C) is increasingly gaining relevance for the sale of sweets and serves as a valuable enhancement to the classic supermarket business. If direct sales are accompanied by clever marketing, the advantages are clear: Brands can conduct their customer relations more directly and develop independent sales strategies. With the increasing significance of online shopping own webshops and social media platforms open up new potential – from higher profit margins, to a tailor-made brand experience, through to a stronger customer loyalty.