But there appears to be a new favorite format in town that’s taking shape: soft chews.
“While it is true that, as a delivery form, gummies have enjoyed enormous trending popularity over the past several years, the trend seems to be slowing down,” said Gene Bruno, an award-winning formulator and chief scientific officer at Nutraland USA.
“SPINS data shows that, as of September 2024, sales of gummy products have decreased by 6.1%. That being said, soft chews may be the next big confectionary delivery form for dietary supplements.”
Data to chew on
While gummies sales seem to be decreasing slightly, chews are seeing a major uptick.
Market research collected by SPINS shows that soft chew sales in 2024 were up 41% for the 52 weeks leading up to Dec. 24, 2024, going from $73.3 million in 2023 to $103.4 million in 2024.
Major chew subcategories that saw the biggest boost are immune supplements (+200%); Vitamins A, D and K for bone health (+169%); and cognitive health supplements (+78%).
“Sales of non-pill supplements are on the rise and projected to continue increasing over the coming years,” said Catherine Nardone, global marketing director of ConCordix, which has over 40 patents on its Smart Chews technology.
“The chewable supplement market is expanding. We are witnessing the emergence of innovative delivery systems as manufacturers recognize the ongoing consumer demand for an improved supplementation experience.”
Soft chews ‘fastest growing of any format’
Vitux, which owns the patents on Concordix Smart Chews Technology, had to expand its operations in 2023 in order to keep up with demand for the chews. Vitux opened its first location in North America with a production facility in Windsor, Canada. The Smart Chews are now used in an expanding list of products that include ingredients like omega-3s and vitamins for need states such as immune support, beauty, vision and more.
Brent Eck is CEO of FoodPharma, a manufacturer that has an annual capacity of over 2 billion soft chews. He said retail scan data–information collected when a product’s barcode is scanned at a point of sale–indicated that soft chews are not only the fastest growing enjoyable format in VMS today but the fastest growing of any format.
“A few large VMS brands have invested in differentiating their products with consumers by offering our unique soft chew delivery format,” he said.
“And based on the growth those brands are experiencing, it’s clear that consumers love taking their soft chews daily. Enjoyable formats like soft chews deliver above-average conversion, retention and lifetime value for the brands that invest in them, so the ROI is there for any brand to hop in.”
Formulating: Chews vs gummies
Parents often criticize gummies for simply being candy in disguise. The critique may not be too far off—because according to Nardone, gummies are fortified candies that were never specifically designed for the delivery and absorption of nutrients. For formulators however, the sugar serves a functional purpose beyond taste.
“Sugar helps the gummy maintain its form,” Nardone said, adding that although more sugar-free gummies have become available, if sugar is not used, another filler may be necessary in order to manufacture the gummy.
From a manufacturing standpoint, soft chews offer more stability, efficacious dosing and typically a longer shelf-life.
“Soft chews allow for nearly double the active load of your average gummy, are less sensitive to the pH of the active, allow for many more flavors (indulgent as well as fruity) and flavor masking options, and due to being individually wrapped are much more resistant to some of the melting issues some brands experience especially when shipping to consumers directly,” Eck said.
Bruno said that like gummies, soft chews are available in different flavors and can easily contain masking agents to compensate for undesirable tastes associated with certain nutraceuticals.
“Where soft chews differ is that they are larger and denser, and so may be able to accommodate higher doses of actives than gummies,” he added. “They can also be individually wrapped (like a Starburst), making it easy to toss a single chew in your pocket or purse for convenient same day use.”
As consumers seek out higher nutrient content, individually-wrapped convenience and new innovations, we can expect to keep finding soft chews tagging along in pockets, purses and beyond as the format continues to attract consumers.
