Exclusive: A host of magical confectionery delights unveiled this Christmas
This year has produced some especially strong confectionery offerings, and the Christmas season is no exception to that, as editor Neill Barston examines, with shoppers looking to balance tight budgets against a desire for indulgent festive treats.
From the bright twinkling store lights adorning London’s Regent Street, to wealth of upscale stores in downtown New York, this year’s festive season would not be complete without a raft of Christmas confectionery.
Indeed, amid a world with more than its fair share of challenges on its plate as 2025 draws to a close, spreading some cheer with an array of sweet treats is certainly something most consumers are seemingly enthusiastically embracing.
So it’s little surprise that December has seen some prominent advertising from the likes of Lindt & Sprungli and Godiva, through to Reese’s peanut butter cups all getting in on the festive action.
Certainly, as our title has previously reported, in comparatively challenging economic times, sweets and snacks are regarded as affordable indulgent treats that remain at heart of many seasonal family celebrations around the world.
As we discovered from examining retailers offerings, there’s no shortage of innovation happening this festive season, despite manufacturers continuing to face heightened production costs this year.
Moreover, according to figures from Statista, the global chocolate market along during 2025 reportedly worth $140 billion, with festive celebrations believed to make up a sizeable seasonal portion of those sales around the world.
From major brands and retailers’ private label activity, through to independent stores championing artisan offerings, this year’s Christmas season is set to prove a memorable one for consumers eager to engage with fresh confectionery finds.
For its part, Mars Wrigley has gone big on its end of year extravaganza, with last year’s performance across multiple segments reporting encouraging signs, with sharing formats reportedly among its strongest areas.
According to its results, Maltesers sharing bags saw a 15 per cent volume growth, which the business noted underlined how important indulgence is to the business.
As the company evaluated, this year’s purchasing patterns are likely to be governed by price, amid continued constrains on many households’ budgets.
In response, Mars reflected that it was focused on creating delivering accessible, compelling offerings across its brands in terms of new product development. One of the most eye-catching items in its arsenal this season are its Maltesers gingerbread reindeers that it anticipates will drive
consumer spending.
In addition, among its big hitters this M&M’s crispy milk chocolate Santa series, truffle advent calendars, as well as a host of collection boxes representing Skittles, Maltesers and Galaxy ranges.
Tim LeBel, president of sales, Mars Wrigley North America, enthused its festive line-up was on particularly strong form this year, in blending new innovations with some classic favourites.
He said: “This year’s festive line-up truly captures the spirit of celebration, offering both new treats and beloved classics that have become staples in holiday traditions. With leading brands like M&M’s, Twix, Snickers, and Life Savers, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
“The return of fan favourites such as M&M’S Holiday Blend, featuring a mix of red and green M&M’S, make holiday baking and movie nights extra special. And now there’s new M&M’S Winter Blend – featuring a blue and white assortment – to add into the festive fold. These treats evoke nostalgia and help create memorable moments with family and friends.
“At the same time, we’re introducing exciting new shapes, driven by consumers’ enthusiasm for seasonal novelties. Both Snickers Trees and Twix Snowmen not only represent the season but are fun options for stocking fillers, and even treats for yourself whether at home or on the go. We also have new Life Savers Gummies in Holiday Shapes, including stockings, snowmen, and Santa hats,” noted the senior executive.
As for the premium chocolate sector, Lindt & Sprüngli has made a welcome decision to bring back its Christmas Teddy, which offers a fine seasonal mascot for the business. The star of the show is being joined by the company’s classic range of Lindor Truffles, which are being re- introduced in special edition form for the festive season.
In addition, the company confirmed it is offering a holiday gift box among other key treats including peppermint cookie milk chocolate truffles, as well as Lindor’s candy cane white truffles as a further statement release.
Furthermore, Hotel Chocolat has also delivered a series of high-end festive treats, including premium advent calendars, classic H-Box selection chocolates, as well as its Velvetiser hot chocolate series (see our feature earlier in this edition).
Driving innovations
Meanwhile, an inventive mix of classic confectionery favourites and newly designed treats, including a new Dairy Milk Biscoff line, are among Mondelēz International’s major Christmas highlights.
Like many in the sector, launches started early this year, with festive offerings including fresh designs for Cadbury Roses and Cadbury Heroes.
Notably, as the company explained, following reported success with its Toblerone Milk Diamond Truffles, the manufacturer is introducing two new indulgent SKUs to the its truffles range this festive season: Toblerone Assorted, and Toblerone Golden Caramel Diamond Truffles.
In addition, its flagship Oreo brand has revived its Gingerbread edition for the second year running, after proving one of last year’s most sought-after launches.
This will be boosted by a brand-new assortments pouch, featuring three different types of Oreo, as well as also bringing back its White Enrobed variety, which proved the company’s most popular festive biscuit.
Keeping on trend with the season, the company’s Snowy Fingers, the winter twist on the classic Cadbury Fingers with a milk and white chocolate coating, is also returning to shelves for 2025, alongside the brand’s Festive Animals, to tap into more seasonal moments.
Nicole Partridge, senior brand manager, Christmas, at Mondelēz International, commented on its festive offerings.
She said: “This Christmas we’re extending our successful partnership with Lotus Biscoff even further, introducing our second piece of NPD with our new Cadbury Dairy Milk Biscoff Advent Calendar, the most indulgent way to count down to the big day. Our hugely successful Cadbury Dairy Milk Biscoff bars are also expanding into a new, larger gifting format, as they’re simply too delicious to be enjoyed alone.”
Premium festive delivery
For its part, Ferrero is bringing festive joy with a major selection of Christmas products from its beloved brands: Nutella, Kinder, Ferrero Rocher, and Thorntons across all its category segments.
Clearly, the firm has well and truly entered the spirit of the season with its latest array of Rocher products that have hit shelves across major markets.
Within America, as with British audiences, the company has made its flagship range available in 12 piece and 24-piece holiday boxes, as well as a special 17 item pyramid to form a key festive talking point.
In addition, for the US, the company has revealed its Raise A Rocher platform, a key campaign designed to elevate holidays, milestones, and everyday achievements alike into moments worthy of a toast.
With over 100 years of chocolate-making expertise, Thorntons combines beloved flavours with luxurious new-look packaging to create gifts that feel truly thoughtful.
The brand’s most-loved Classic chocolates are a celebration of British tastes, offering familiar flavours and textures. From Gooey Caramel and Fudge Brownie to Strawberries and Cream, these have been designed for the gifting market.
As the business noted, the assortment of milk, dark, and white chocolates have been made with carefully selected high quality ingredients.
This year, the Continental box welcomes back the much-loved Viennese Truffle, alongside the addition of the new decadent Crème Brûlée, bringing even more variety to the popular assortment.
Thorntons’ Continental chocolates are created with specially developed recipes inspired by the tastes of Europe, using quality, carefully selected ingredients.
Have a ‘deer-lightful’ Christmas with Thorntons’ delicious milk chocolate characters, with a brand-new pack design. Whether it’s the Cheeky Reindeer, complete with a festive red gift, or the playful Chocolate Elf, accented with white and green decorations, each character is carefully crafted from Thorntons’ smooth milk chocolate and finished with intricate detailing that brings them to life.
Festive favourites
Not to be outdone, Nestlé has dug deep into its chocolate archives to tempt shoppers this Christmas across its household brands.
This has included a new Milkybar Advent Calendar, featuring a series of delicious white chocolate festive shapes for each day, as well as a special edition White Selection including a White Lion bar, KitKat White and Milkybar classics.
As the company noted, these selection boxes have also had a key design update, including for its Aero and KitKat offerings that form part of its classic selection box along with other brand favourites such as Yorkie and Fruit Pastilles.
Notably, the business has also confirmed a limited-edition offering of two Kitkat – in the form of the KitKat Santa Chocolate Sharing Bag with five individually wrapped, mini milk-chocolate figures with a crispy wafer and milk chocolate filling. Its second option is a new limited-edition KitKat Gingerbread flavour two finger.
Furthermore, there’s a new outing for one of Quality Street’s most distinctive chocolates with a new Green Triangle-inspired sharing bar filled with a key hazelnut flavour filling. In addition, Quality Street’s first-of-its-kind paper tub is back in selected Tesco stores this Christmas, as the business continues its packaging sustainability drive in reducing plastics.
Its recently created paper tub features an integrated re-close feature, allowing it to be securely closed once opened, and is also now fully recyclable. Significantly, fans are also in for a very special treat with the addition of a new mystery flavour – only available at John Lewis stores this Christmas.
For its classic After Eight brand, the company has teamed up with London-based artist and Designer, Camille Walala, to create a striking limited-edition design.
Independent firms show resilience
While there are clearly plenty of big brand offerings making the headlines this festive season, the UK in particular has continued to shine for independent offerings.
This has been ably demonstrated by the likes of Lincolnshire’s Hames Chocolates latest ranges targeting private label markets, has included stirrers, special edition truffles, as well as unique bar ranges.
As previously covered, the business, which also produces its own brand of confectionery lines, is targeting the gifting market with a fresh range of festive offerings for general retail and hospitality markets.
Featuring sustainably sourced cocoa and crafted in the UK, this year’s range combines traditional favourites with new seasonal twists – from mince pie truffles to hand-piped chocolate lollies – all wrapped in beautifully designed packaging.
Carol Oldbury, CEO, Hames Chocolates: noted: “As we approach Christmas, it’s fair to say this season feels more critical than ever for confectionery businesses. It has been a challenging year for many across the industry, with continued cost pressures, cautious consumer spending and an increasingly complex retail landscape. Yet Christmas remains a moment when people still look for small treats and meaningful gifts – and for manufacturers like Hames Chocolates, it’s a vital period that can make a significant difference to the year’s performance.
“What gives me confidence is the continued appetite for high-quality, beautifully crafted products that feel special without being inaccessible. Our 2025 festive collection reflects that balance, bringing together indulgent flavours, value-driven gifting formats and sustainable cocoa sourcing – all areas where we know consumers expect more.
“But this year is also a reminder of how important agility and innovation are to future-proofing the category. Whether it’s flexible manufacturing, rapid NPD, more responsible production or helping retailers create tailored ranges, adaptability is what will carry confectionery businesses forward. This Christmas is not just a sales moment – it’s a chance to reinforce trust, demonstrate quality and set the tone for a more resilient year ahead.”
Luxury offerings
Another business that has recently tasted success with Confectionery Production is London’s Prestat premium chocolate company.
The luxury confectionery business emerged triumphant in September with our World Confectionery Awards at our conference in Brussels, which capped a notable period for the West London manufacturer.
Speaking to our title, marketing manager Marie-Lorraine Michot, revealed Christmas remains its most significant period of the year. It’s the culmination of a year of planning and contributing to the magic of the holidays,” she revealed of the immense build-up to the season.
She explained: “We spend months perfecting festive flavour profiles and designs that evoke nostalgia, warmth, and a little bit of wonder. This year, the launch of our hand-finished, super-premium Dubai Bar (sold under our own brands – Prestat and Rococo Chocolates, as well as our sister company Domori) underscores our commitment to providing the ultimate luxury gift.
Meanwhile, the success of our Gingerbread Fudge and novelty mince pie flavours shows that consumers are craving high-quality, inventive, and delicious festive treats across the entire confectionery spectrum.
“However, unlike previous years, this Christmas season is marked by two distinct challenges. Firstly, we are experiencing the full effect of Brexit red tape. This has made our supply chain more complex than ever, creating a significant and ongoing drain on resources that requires constant management. Secondly, we are seeing the direct impact of economic uncertainty on consumer behaviour. Sales patterns suggest customers are waiting until the very last minute to place orders and are actively seeking discounts. This hesitancy in spending mirrors the depth of the cost of living crisis we experienced in 2023.”
As she adds, despite these operational and economic hurdles, the challenge has motivated its entire team to maintain the meticulous, hand-finished quality, for which the team remains especially proud of.
A splash of Baileys
For its part, Irish confectionery firm Lir has set its sights on turning heads this Christmas, as it lifts the lid on a slice of festive innovation in the form of the Baileys Chocolate Caramel Whirl.
The latest line hit shelves recently in two formats, a single in Sainsbury’s and Asda, and a triple pack in Tesco, Waitrose, and Morrisons, which have expanded its retail presence for the festive favourite.
As Lir Chocolates noted, the range is strategically positioned to tap into both impulse and gifting occasions during the all-important holiday season.
It features a unique whirl-shaped milk chocolate shell filled with a soft marshmallow centre and a layer of smooth caramel, all infused with the unmistakable flavour of Baileys Original Irish Cream.
For its part, a fun selection of seasonal creations has been unveiled by British chocolate business Gnaw, including “gingerbread dudes,” puds and cool mint penguins to spice up festive celebrations,
The inventive business has sought to put some extra festive theatre under the Christmas tree, which is why they insisted on creating a series of extra fun characters that come to life by championing an array of truly compatible full-bodied flavours.
Elsewhere in the UK market, Haldiram as sought to offer something a little different, blending a taste of East meets West.
Alongside its festive gifting collection, it is presenting Khaas, a premium range of marzipan-based fusion sweets developed by Rhea Agarwal. Blending authentic Indian flavours with contemporary tastes, the line reflects Rhea’s vision to bring innovation to tradition. Launched during Diwali to overwhelming demand, this luxurious series is designed for those seeking something truly special and indulgent.
“Christmas is about sharing joy and creating memories. Our gift boxes bring the warmth of authentic Indian flavours to festive tables across the UK, offering something truly distinctive for those looking to gift differently this season.” – Rhea Agarwal, director of business Development UK & Europe on prospects for its latest range.
With such a wealth of companies, large and small alike working harder than ever to deliver some genuine festive magic, the signs are looking promising that despite ongoing manufacturing and supply chain tests, that 2025’s festive season is looking like one that’s especially fruitful for the industry.
As cocoa prices begin to stabilise, sector hopes remain high that with stronger industry delivery on sustainability and supporting supply chains, as well as a dedication to quality and innovation, that the sector’s health is looking encouraging for the New Year ahead.
