Cookie Industry Thrives As Consumers Look For Healthful, Artisanal Offerings

The cookie segment of the retail snacks and baked goods industry is offering strong differentiation that riffs on traditional recipes, adding innovative, crafted, more healthful options. Handheld treats are doing quite well overall, with cookie sales reaching $8.2 billion in the year that ended in March, an increase of 1.76 percent. The main drivers in the field include a consumer preference for artisanal or craft cookies that are less uniform in appearance and have a “homemade” appeal. Homemade suggests the use of familiar, healthful ingredients, including coconut oil, dark chocolate, whole grains, natural sweeteners (viz., honey and maple syrup), oats, peanut butter, nuts, raisins, and chocolate chips. Bottom line: consumers want to "eat less, but eat better."