The United States boasts one of the world’s largest consumer markets, and understanding what products are flying off shelves can help Turkish suppliers target the right opportunities. Below we highlight the best-selling and most in-demand product categories in key sectors – beverages, food, confectionery, and paper products – based on recent U.S. market trends and sales data. These insights can guide exporters on what Americans are buying most, and how you might position your products for success.
- Beverages: Americans are drinking more non-alcoholic beverages than ever. Bottled water has become the nation’s favorite drink, with 15.9 billion gallons consumed in 2023 and retail sales over $48 billion – officially outselling carbonated soft drinks by volumetheshelbyreport.comtheshelbyreport.com. Traditional soft drinks (sodas) still command a huge market (Coca-Cola remains the top-selling soda brand), but growth has slowed. Meanwhile, health-oriented and innovative drinks are on the rise – categories like coconut water, low-calorie “modern” sodas, and energy drinks have led beverage sales growth in 2024cascadiafoodbev.com, as consumers seek functional and flavorful alternatives. In short, U.S. beverage aisles are dominated by bottled water and big soda brands, with rapid growth in niche beverage segments.
- Food & Grocery: In U.S. supermarkets, staple foods continue to dominate shopping carts. Everyday essentials such as milk, bread, eggs, fresh produce, and packaged snacks are consistently among the top-selling grocery items nationwideitretail.com. For example, dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt) and bakery goods (bread and rolls) are perennial heavy hitters, reflecting the daily demand for these basics. At the same time, snack foods represent a booming sub-category: items like chips, pretzels and crackers generate billions in sales each year. Notably, this snack segment was recently reported as the #1 specialty food category, becoming the first to exceed $6 billion in annual U.S. retail salesgiftsanddec.com. Convenience is key – Americans also love ready-to-eat and easy-to-prepare foods, driving strong demand for frozen meals, cereals, and other quick meal solutions. In summary, the U.S. food market craves both the staples (for everyday cooking) and indulgent snacks (for on-the-go treats).
- Confectionery (Sweets): The U.S. has a massive sweet tooth. Confectionery sales reached a record $54 billion in 2024convenience.org, reflecting Americans’ enduring love for chocolates, candies, gum, and mints. Chocolate is the largest segment – accounting for roughly half of all candy revenues (about $28.1B in 2024) – but non-chocolate candies (around $21.7B in sales) have been growing even fasterconvenience.org. In fact, industry data shows nearly 98% of U.S. shoppers bought some type of candy last yearcandyusa.com, despite higher grocery prices. Seasonal boosts are also huge: holidays like Halloween, Easter, and Christmas send candy demand soaring each year. For exporters, this means American retailers are constantly restocking everything from gourmet chocolates to fruity gummies. The confectionery sector is a resilient, high-volume market where new flavors and premium offerings can find eager buyers.
- Paper Products (e.g. Paper Towels & Tissues): Household paper goods are a steady, essential category in the U.S. market. Consumers rely daily on items like paper towels, toilet tissue, napkins, and facial tissues, keeping this sector in consistent demand. U.S. paper towel consumption, for instance, hit 1.7 million tons in 2024 (worth about $4.4 billion at the producer level)indexbox.io – more than double the volume of a decade ago, showing robust growth in usage.
The U.S. consumer goods landscape offers vast opportunities across these high-demand categories – from quenching America’s thirst with beverages, to filling grocery carts with foods and snacks, sweetening moments with confectionery, and stocking homes with paper essentials. If you are a supplier in Turkey looking to export to the U.S., now is the time to align your product strategy with these trends. Bataba’s expert team is here to support your journey every step of the way. Contact Bataba today for logistics assistance, market consulting, and the on-the-ground know-how you need to get your products onto American shelves. Let’s work together to turn these U.S. market insights into your export success story!
