What We Loved and What We Missed at Sweets & Snacks 2025

Stop scrolling! We aren’t here to rehash what’s already been shared many, many times regarding Sweets & Snacks 2025. Lots of good, smart folks have posted photos, observations, insights, and hot takes and honestly, we can’t top them. It was a killer show, and the brands showed up. Period.

But there was one not-so-little thing we felt was missing from the conversation.

Pack Design Was Poppin’ but Structure Was an Afterthought

We welcome debate on this one. But with very few exceptions, we didn’t see any packaging structure innovations that probably, likely, most certainly would have been game-changers for some products and brands.

At a show where product innovation is the big draw, perhaps we shouldn’t have expected it. And we saw hundreds of examples of beautifully designed packaging, with provocative branding and drool-worthy appetite appeal. But structural disruption would’ve been a welcome talking point, especially as this category is all about sensory short-circuiting—or as our friend Hunter Thurman at Alpha-Diver calls it, “dynamic contrast.” That’s the juxtaposition of sour and sweet (classic), chewy and crunchy (iconic), crackly and gooey, smooth and stringy, etc. Our taste buds and brains love these surprising twists, and Sweets & Snacks 2025 had zillions of them.

I couldn’t help but want the same sensory shock from pack structure, too.

Some Pack Structures Did Deliver Disruption

Of course, as packaging designers we know there are many limitations on structure: proprietary formats can be time-consuming to design and cost-prohibitive to produce within current manufacturing constraints; they don’t always serve the product well based on use occasion or integrity; they may not protect the product’s ingredients from degradation; the list goes on.

These are not small considerations.

However, I still wanted something to challenge my perceptions, and I looked hard for it. The examples below caught my eye, yet no one was talking about them. And maybe they aren’t terribly groundbreaking, but let’s get into that a bit more in a moment.

Jayone Drinkable Jelly // Pouch

The product on the far left, from Jayone Foods, is a drinkable jelly. I know, I was confused, too (though I respect this may be common in regions outside the U.S.). Not only is the product unique, but the fact that something labeled “drinkable” comes in a pouch is intriguing. Is it a liquid? Is it actually the consistency of jelly, or is it more like kids’ applesauce? Why isn’t it in a can, like the boba next to it? If it hadn’t been inside a glass case, I absolutely would’ve tried it. (Also, I love that these products were propped next to a tote bag, because they’re all designed to be taken on the go. Smart.)

Bixby Chocolate Sardines // Tin

This one is a little more sensical, since the chocolates are shaped like sardines. But how darling is the peel-back tin? We love this kind of sensory storytelling, especially because it draws on Bixby’s provenance of Maine, and regional origins were a huge theme at this year’s show—a reflection of consumers’ desire for all things local.

We Are Nuts Granola // Canister

This granola from We Are Nuts felt full of possibilities. Most pre-packaged granola comes in a re-sealable pouch or box (like cereal), but this got me thinking. Wouldn’t a slim canister be easier to store at home, easier to take with you, and easier to pour from? Not to mention re-usable? It felt novel for a product category that could use some shaking up.

Holeywood RTD Coffee // Pouch

Is this new? Ready-to-drink coffee in a pouch? It was new to me, at least, and therefore, worthy of mention. I’m a little worried about my ability to pour from it—will I make a mess? Is it single serve (seems to be)? Is it shelf-stable (if so, hooray!)? Chinese maker Holeywood brought this to the show, and I really don’t know much more about it, but I’ve already expressed my interest in drinkable things in pouches, so we had to discuss it.

Sweets, Snacks, and Structural Innovation

Why re-imagine pack structures for products like gummies or chips that consumers expect to come in traditional formats? After all, there’s zero risk in keeping things exactly as they are, and as with many things, they’ve been done that way for good reason for eons.

But but but we live in a day and age when consumers are seeking new and novel all the time. The proof is in the wacky flavor pairings and textural chaos we saw everywhere at Sweets & Snacks, not to mention the absolutely wild DIY happening with food on social. So why not consider pack structure as part of that experience, too? Here are a few places we start when re-thinking structural possibilities in our workshops:

New Shelf Placement or Orientation

Do you want more pop? Want to feel like your product takes up more space—or do you want it to take up less so you can stock more inventory? Is your shipper tray working as hard as it could? Should the shipper be part of a novel dispensing system? Let’s dig into it.

If you made it this far, your sugar crash after Sweets & Snacks probably was not as hard as ours! And if the show left you with a head full of crazy ideas, consider us your enabler. Maybe next year, structure will get its turn in the spotlight. Me personally, I’m hoping for gummy worms that “wiggle” in their packs…