It's Not Just Hershey Bars With Almonds Anymore
Shawn Houser-Fedor is Senior Director of Chocolate and Packaging R&D at the Hershey Co.
She spoke recently at the virtual 2020 California Almond conference, and they've expanded their almond products.
“Hershey’s portfolio of almond products continues to grow and expand just beyond chocolate and almonds with new snack offerings from Hershey's Kit-Kat snack mixes, and newer brands such as BarkThins, Brookside, Oatmega, and One Nutrition bars,” noted Houser-Fedor.
“Our decision to focus on emerging brands and the acquisition of several brands including Amplify Snack Brands enables us to bring together the best of the big scale of Hershey with the best of the small, nimble ways of working with smaller brands. At the end of the day, we are one Hershey unlocking new value for our suppliers, customers, and shareholders,” said Houser-Fedor
Almond, loving consumers are at the center of most of their innovations.
“Consumers eat almonds for many reasons. We find that our consumers eat almonds with our confections and snacks for their wholesomeness protein and healthy benefits combined with our delicious and indulgent chocolate,” explained Houser-Fedor.
In 2016, Hershey decided to put chop almonds in the Hershey bar in order to give an almond flavor in every bite. But Hershey learned a lesson.
“Consumers not only contacted us directly to tell us they wanted whole almonds back, but they talked with their wallet,” she said. “With the replacement of whole almonds back into our Hershey Almond bar. We saw a huge lift in sales up almost 25 percent,” she explained.
