U.S Specialty Chocolate Consumer Survey and Market Study (July 2026)
How to Cite this Study
López Ganem, José J., Martin, Carla D., and Adamolekun, Dara O. "U.S. Specialty Chocolate Consumer Survey and Market Study." Institute for Cacao and Chocolate Research, July 30, 2026.
About This Study
The 2026 U.S. Specialty Chocolate Consumer Survey and Market Study presents the results of a survey conducted among 1,052 consumers across the United States, recruited at random through an independent survey provider whose reach accounted for all states and territories of the country.
ICCR has been asked to complement existing industry and consumer research with the consumer's own perspective on the specialty chocolate market. As a scholar-led research organization, ICCR remains deeply interested in consumer surveys of this kind because they inform other types of studies: from estimates of the size of the specialty market to the critical assessment and evaluation of awareness campaigns to promote and market specialty or fine flavor cocoa.
This survey was performed with the aim of understanding the purchasing habits, motivations, and preferences of the United States specialty chocolate consumer exclusively — and also to test some of the notions, the famous "insider baseball," of the specialty chocolate industry. Do U.S. specialty chocolate consumers care about, or are they even familiar with, the industry's internal preoccupations?
Scope of the Research
This study is specific to the United States specialty chocolate consumer. It reflects what the U.S. consumer wants and what motivates their chocolate purchases, preferences, and debates. It does not, in any way, represent the global market. It is complementary to other existing studies and it should not be read as an attempt to determine or contradict existing market or academic data. It is, simply, a representative random sample of people who identified themselves as U.S. specialty chocolate consumers, capturing their motivations and understanding in 2026.
The study is as much an X-ray of what the self-identified specialty chocolate consumer knows (and a test of that knowledge) as it is a validation of what the specialty chocolate subsector believes a consumer should know, should care about, and what the sector spends so much of its energy discussing when it comes to the information found on a chocolate bar, a chocolate product, or a chocolate tour. In other words, it tests theories — mostly anecdotal or company-specific — held by colleagues in the chocolate industry about the validity of the information that is out there: both in terms of its veracity, and its relevance to the consumer.
A Note on the Sample
Some readers may ask how a sample of 1,052 respondents can be called representative. The answer lies in how the sample was built. Fielding was conducted by Dynata, an independent survey provider, which selected respondents according to ICCR's specifications: self-identified specialty chocolate consumers representative of the general demographics of the United States and spread across all states and territories of the union. A carefully constructed sample of this size is a well-established standard in national consumer research — most nationwide polls in the United States rely on samples of roughly one thousand respondents, which yield a margin of error of approximately ±3 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. What matters most is not sheer size but the quality and independence of the selection, and this approach gives the findings a solid, credible foundation.
Discuss the Methodology and Results with the Research Team
Our research team is happy to discuss the methodology and results of this research through one-on-one scheduled meetings. Please note that these meetings may carry an advisory fee. To request a meeting, email contact [at] chocolateinstitute [dot] org
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