What does newstalgia mean to you? Defined as “a blend of our old and familiar past with elements of the new and groundbreaking,” newstalgia as a concept gained prominence during and after the covid pandemic. As a culinary experience and phenomenon, newstalgia is here to stay, as evidenced by this year’s edition of the Sweets & Snacks Expo, held in Indianapolis for the second year in a row.
You may remember me covering the Sweets & Snacks Expo in the past (you can read my reviews here, here, here, here, and here) I love this Expo for many reasons, one being the tremendous opportunity to get up close and personal with amazing creators and businesses from an industry that’s very dear to me. I want to gain a deeper understanding of the transformations and trends that underpin the world of sweets and snacks, and the Sweets & Snacks Expo is the perfect fit from this perspective.
2025 FAST FACTS
- Exhibitors: 1,000+ (including 300+ first timers)
- Attendees: 14,500 from 85+ countries
- Show floor: 250,000+ sq. ft. of innovation and inspiration
- Education sessions: 40+ sessions on retail strategy, merchandising, and more
2025 TRENDS
Here are the top trends consumers can expect to see, as revealed at this year’s Expo:
- Bold flavors: Consumers will find adventure in the candy and snack aisles, as bold new flavors and textures with inspiration from all over the world make their way to store shelves.
An assortment of South Korean snacks, on display at the Expo
- Limited-time and seasonal offerings: Consumers are looking for flashy products – whether that’s seasonal products or limited time offers, they will have to get them before they are gone!
Werther’s Original seasonal offerings
- Enhancing special moments & occasions: Candy enhances special moments, including family traditions, social gatherings, and seasonal celebrations, while snacks help consumers to savor them. Companies are meeting consumers where they want to be met with innovative new products and a variety of package sizes to suit every occasion.
Lakrids by Bülow chocolate covered liquorice
DUBAI CHOCOLATE: NEWSTALGIA 101
As emphasiezed by Carly Schildhaus, National Confectioners Association’s Director of Public Affairs & Communications, “Consumers’ favorite products are being reimagined with fun and unique textures and flavor combinations, and as more consumers turn to social media to share their favorite candy innovations, confectionery manufacturers are joining in on the fun.”
What products bring newstalgia to the forefront? For starters, I would argue that Dubai chocolate is a prime example of newstalgia, as chocolate manufacturers use this innovative recipe to reimagine comforting, beloved treats using different flavors and/or textures, sometimes in limited-time offerings.
In all my years of covering the Expo, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a social media-fueled concept featured so prominently! From full chocolate bars and bite-sized treats…
…to stuffed wafer cones…
…to popcorn…
…pistachios and kataifi were present as raw ingredients…
…or in finished products at many booths, with manufacturers showcasing their present or future Dubai-inspired offerings, some due to launch well into the future.
Indeed, two of this year’s winners of The Most Innovative New Product Awards – Mattigan’s Dubai Style Chocolate Spread (Gourmet/Premium Confections Category) and Belle’s Gourmet Popcorn Dubai Chocolate Popcorn (Salty Snacks Category), respectively – epitomized this newstalgic Dubai-inspired trend. Why “settle” for your usual chocolate spread, when you can have it Dubai-styled? Why eat your regular popcorn, when you can enjoy its Dubai-reimagined version? 🙂
You can find the full list of winners here.
OTHER EXAMPLES OF NEWSTALGIA
Cookies are a marvelous familiar crowd-pleaser, and reimagining them with innovative ingredients makes them even better 🙂 Take the example of Molly Bz Cookies, whose Bobadoodles/Trashy Gourmet Shortbread Cookies with Mini Strawberry Boba won The Most Innovative New Product Award in the Baked Goods Category.
In a similar fashion, Chunk Nibbles won in the Sweet Snacks Category with their Toffee Sweet & Salty Clusters. Such a newstalgic reimagining of snacks!
Evie’s Texas Pecans seemed to me to be an excellent representative of the newstalgic trend. Cinnamon churro flavor, mmm…
And what about the Swedish candy social media phenomenon? Beloved familiar candy on the healthier side, reimagined with wholesome ingredients, without artificial flavors or colors, sounds like a great idea!
Bring on newstalgia, I say 🙂
NEW DISCOVERIES
I love discovering new products and connecting at the Expo! I was very happy to try the delicious protein balls and to meet Mitzi Dulan, owner of Simply Fuel…
… to discover the amazing Bedré…
… and Wild West chocolates…
…and to connect with husband and wife team Matthew and Jasmin von Teichman, whose Purplesful popcorn has taken the world of snacking by storm.
After virtually connecting with Katjes vegan gummies on Instagram earlier this year, I was delighted to meet the team in person at the Expo and to sample the yummilicious healthy treats:
ESTABLISHED FAVORITES
I am humbled by the connections I have established at the Expo over the years, and I am always delighted to meet my “old” friends and to learn about their latest products. I thoroughly enjoyed reconnecting with Vermont Smoke & Cure (previously reviewed here)…
…JOJO’s Chocolate (reviewed here)…
…Chocxo Chocolate (reviewed here)…
… and Sally’s Nuts:
NOTABLE EVENTS
In addition to effective trend- and product-related research, the Sweets & Snacks Expo offers top-tier education and networking opportunities. I was excited to attend Women’s Leadership Breakfast, where President and COO of Pacers Sports & Entertainment Mel Raines offered advice to attendees during an inspiring Q&A session. Her #1 recommendation? Say YES more often!
You are welcome to check out an in-depth interview with Mel Raines here.
I also thoroughly enjoyed attending the State of Treating presentation, where principal and founder of 210 Analytics Anne-Marie Roerink provided exceptional in-depth information on recent developments in US confectionery sales.
I could barely contain my excitement upon meeting the one and only Giada De Laurentiis, who joined Loacker on their 100th anniversary celebration and prepared a delicious cake with Loacker raspberry-yogurt wafers for the occasion.
I brought one of Giada’s cookbooks to Indianapolis with me, but I forgot it in the hotel room (ooops!!) Even though I didn’t get her autograph, meeting her was one of the Expo’s brightest moments.
How to end the best Expo? With the best showcasing of speed, of course! On the last day, Sweets & Snacks Expo participants were invited to an official Indy 500 practice session.
I took breathtaking pics and videos of the speedy cars while enjoying the magnificent views and soaking up the sun. The perfect finale to an exhilarating Expo experience!
Next year, the Sweets & Snacks Expo will head west, landing at the Las Vegas Convention Center between May 19–21, 2026 (with the pre-show kicking off May 18). While at this point I am not sure if I’ll be able to travel to Las Vegas, what I do know is that I would love to continue my tradition of reporting on this exceptional trade event. Love sweets, will travel? We’ll have to wait and see 🙂
*Disclaimer: I was not financially compensated by any of the companies mentioned or shown in this post. All opinions expressed here are my own.
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