SMART AND CONNECTED PACKAGING
at nearly $28.3 billion in 2025, with a long-term compound annual growth rate (CAGR) approaching 8%, highlighting the appetite for technologies like QR, NFC and real-time data links that extend packaging into the digital realm. Packaging is a strategic asset enabling
traceability, authenticity, consumer engagement and environmental compliance. Across sectors, from pharmaceuticals to high-end electronics, smart and connected packaging is redefining the purpose of packaging in the 21st century. But perhaps no category illustrates this evolution more vividly than confectionery, a sector that famously blends delight with rigorously engineered production and distribution systems. For confectionery brands, packaging has
always played multiple roles: keep chocolates fresh, preserve the crisp snap of a sugar shell, protect delicate gummies and communicate brand stories. Today, those roles are layered with digital connectivity and intelligence.
Consumer engagement, transparency and connected experiences Interactive technologies—QR codes, augmented reality overlays and digital watermarks—are increasingly embedded in confectionery packs to bridge physical products with digital journeys. As reported across industry trend analyses, these connected formats are helping brands communicate narratives, provenance, ingredients and sustainability credentials directly to consumers’ smartphones, creating immersive engagements previously unthinkable in this category. Tying a smart snack to an online experience adds emotional connection and utility. A confectionery bar could reveal its story of cacao sourcing via AR, offer exclusive recipes, or embed gamified campaigns around limited- edition drops—all by scanning a pack.
Supply chain integrity and quality assurance The confectionery supply chain, with
its sensitivity to temperature, moisture and handling, benefits considerably from smart packaging innovations that enable real-time condition monitoring and tighter traceability. Embedded sensors and connected labels can alert manufacturers and distributors to deviations in environmental conditions that could affect product quality—critical in chocolates and gummies where texture and taste rely on precise storage conditions. Moreover, anti-counterfeiting features—
like cryptographically secure digital IDs—help reassure consumers and retailers that premium confectionery items are authentic, an increasingly relevant concern on global markets.
Digital threads through production Automation and smart packaging are converging on the production floor. Technologies showcased at industry trade events—such as the Packaging Innovations
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2025/26 • KENNEDY’S CONFECTION • 53
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