That we’re all consuming more news, features, music, sport, film, etc, online is a given. If it weren’t, it’s unlikely you’d be reading this now.

We’re also buying more confectionery online, with internet sales having smashed the £100m barrier thanks to 28.4% year-on-year growth [Kantar Worldpanel]. Sales have been driven by a surge in big-brand promotions at the multiples’ e-stores and the ongoing success of specialist online retailers. This growth is far outpacing that of overall grocery, up 20.3% online.

It’s a happy coincidence that we got to reveal this digital landmark as we kicked off an exciting programme of multimedia, online-only features this week. The first, you guessed it, is on confectionery, and every month we’ll be giving readers everything they need to know about all the key categories – from alcoholic drinks to ice cream – at the click of a mouse.

With the digital age changing how we shop, The Grocer is changing how we present the facts you need to know about this industry. Of course, you’ll still be able to get in-depth analysis of sales performances, market share and innovation in the magazine in our weekly category reports, but from now on this will be accompanied by exclusive digital content.

These features are truly multimedia: we’ve put together our very own video consumer panel to give their verdict on new products every month; there’s analysis and case studies of advertising and social media activity; in-depth market analysis; consumer research; galleries of the hottest NPD from around the world; details of grocery’s must-know buyers; and short films (this month: see what happened when The Grocer got the keys to the Cadbury R&D kitchen).

You can tuck in now to our 10 Things You Need To Know About… Confectionery. Next month, we throw the spotlight on ice cream. Get in touch if you want to be involved.