Sweet Divide: Legacy Treats & Wellness Bites

At this year’s Sweets & Snacks Expo, one thing was clear: the snack aisle is in the middle of a cultural identity crisis.

On one side, the legacy giants — neon-slick, unapologetically indulgent, and steeped in 90s nostalgia. Think gooey centers, sour dust, and sensory overload. On the other, the new class: sleekly packaged upstarts pushing low sugar, adaptogens, protein, and gut health. Their pitch? Snack like a kid, feel like an adult.

What’s striking is that they’re often selling the same formats – puffs, bites, clusters – but with radically different values. One promises permission to escape. The other, permission to indulge responsibly.

It’s not just a flavor war. It’s a battle of brand philosophy.

The old guard leans on emotional resonance. The newcomers on functional benefit. But increasingly, they’re chasing the same consumer — one who craves joy and balance, fun and function.

In this new era, you’re not just selling a snack. You’re selling a worldview. And the brands that are breaking through? They’re finding ways to do both, injecting legacy formats with new values, or packaging wellness with a wink.

The future of sweets and snacks won’t be won on the shelf alone. It’ll belong to the brands that blend indulgence and intention in ways that feel fresh, not forced.

At Interact Brands, we help visionary CPG brands navigate this new landscape by blending indulgence and intention to build identities that resonate.

Let’s create the next breakout brand, together.