Elevating chocolate

Hershey is introducing several new chocolate innovations, including:

• Hershey’s Milk Chocolate with Caramel – A caramel-filled twist on the classic Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar.
• Hershey’s Kisses Cinnamon Toast Crunch – This LTO offering combines chocolate with the cereal aisle.
• Reese's Pieces Bark with Reese's Pieces Minis and Peanuts – A combination of Reese’s signature peanut butter, Reese’s Pieces Minis, and roasted peanuts.
• Reese’s PB&J Big Cups – A take on the classic PB&J, available in both strawberry and grape flavors for a limited time.
• Reese’s Peanut Butter Pie Miniatures – Featuring bite-sized Reese’s stuffed with graham-style cookie pieces and Reese’s signature peanut butter filling.
• Reese’s Jumbo Cup – Equivalent to four standard size cups in one, this mega-sized treat is available for a limited time.

Expanding sweets

Hershey is also innovating in the sweets space to meet growing consumer demand. The company is expanding its Shaq-A-Licious XL Gummies collaboration with basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal, after a successful year-one launch, it says. The latest product innovation will feature sneaker-shaped gummies inspired by O'Neal's signature footwear. 

In late 2024, Hershey announced its acquisition of Sour Strips to continue growing its sweets portfolio. Sour Strips demonstrated momentum, posting a nearly 50% surge in total sales over the previous fiscal year, outpacing category growth by a significant margin. The acquisition of Sour Strips represents Hershey's strategic focus on accelerating growth in the confection category while leveraging the brand's  social media presence to expand its reach to new consumer segments, it says.

Trending flavors and textures

Hershey is keeping a close eye on trends in flavors and forms, it says, and is introducing several new products:

• Reese’s Filled Pretzels – Crunchy and slightly salty pretzels filled with lightly sweet Reese’s peanut butter filling.
• Jolly Rancher Chewy Poppers – A triple-layered innovation, with a candy shell, chewy core and fruity center.
• Jolly Rancher Freeze Dried – The fruit flavors of Jolly Rancher in an airy and crunchy form.
• Jolly Rancher Ropes – Includes a chewy outer layer plus inner filling.
• Dot’s Homestyle Pretzels Buffalo Flavor – A zesty take on the pretzel snack.

"The future of snacking is about meaningful innovation that resonates with evolving consumer preferences, and creates value for our retail and distributor partners,” says Tiffany Menyhart, chief customer officer, The Hershey Company. “Our research shows that shoppers seek convenience and variety in their snacking choices, which is why we are investing heavily in stand-up bags for snack size chocolate and multipacks for our salty offerings. This strategic packaging transformation, plus a robust innovation pipeline across our entire snacking portfolio, solidifies Hershey as the category growth leader, while strengthening relationships with consumers and retailers for the long term."

Packaging strategy in retail

The company is strategically shifting snack size to meet evolving consumer needs as part of a comprehensive packaging strategy. This approach includes snack-size bags designed to improve visibility and shopping convenience, aiming to enhancing the consumer experience. Virtual reality testing supports this decision, projecting a significant increase in snack size dollar and unit sales, Hershey says. Consumer testing demonstrated a 41% improvement in product findability compared to traditional laydown bags. 

In addition, Hershey has found that multipacks, the fastest growing packaging in salty snacks are a key growth driver. Recognizing this potential, Hershey is transforming its portfolio to multipack boxes and launching several new multi-brand variety boxes, currently rolling out in stores nationwide. The company's research shows that 70% of consumers are loyal to their favorite salty snack multipacks, citing convenience, portability, and portion control as key benefits.

Visitors to the company’s Sweets & Snacks Expo booth (2802) will sample products from various brands, including Reese’s, Hershey’s, Kit Kat, Ice Breakers, One Bars, SkinnyPop, and Dot’s Homestyle Pretzels. 

The Hershey Co. is on the current Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery “Top 50 Snack & Bakery Companies” list. Click here to view the current “Top 50” rankings.