What’s hot in confectionery? New Product Development from Hershey to Chupa Chups
To stay agile, maintain a competitive advantage and scale in today’s confectionery sector, brands need to stay up to date with market news. Trends, launches and innovations in chocolate, candy and gum all give glimpses into how the industry is evolving.
Our bi-weekly update on new product development brings you the latest on confectionery launches from companies, large and small, multinational and local.
Are you looking for inspiration to develop your confectionery brand, grow your product portfolio, and lead in the industry? Here, you’ll find the latest insights to enhance your launch, develop new product ideas and grow.
Check out the latest confectionery releases to enter the sector.
A sneak peek: Hershey drops collection of new products
As we head into Q3, global confectionery giant The Hershey Company has announced it’s releasing a slew of new products under a number of its household-named brands.
After announcing that the vanilla variety will become a permanent addition to its Kit Kat collection (the Nestlé icon is licensed to Hershey in the US), the chocolate-meets-wafer brand will launch its Super King size bars
this November. They’ll come with 12-fingers to rival its standard 4-finger variety and Chunky versions.
Hershey will also release its Reese’s Chocolate Lava Big Cup. The indulgence of the lava cake inspires the new dessert-inspired sweet treat, which will contain an extra layer of chocolate filling. Reese’s latest launch seeks to combine the taste, flavour and decadence of chocolate, peanut butter and lava cake. It will be available in standard and king sizes.
Jolly Rancher is also releasing new products for release over the coming months. The hard candy and bubblegum sweets brand is launching Jolly Rancher Ropes, in November 2024, which contain dual fruit flavours. The product comes in two flavour combinations, Green Apple + Watermelon and Blue Raspberry + Cherry, in 10 oz and 6 oz peg bags.
Also available to buy from November 2024 in peg and pouch sizes, is Jolly Rancher Chewy Poppers. The brand’s Chewy Poppers is a triple-layered chewy treat with a candy shell,
chewy core and fruity centre.
Tapping into the freeze dried candy sweets trend, Jolly Rancher Freeze Dried will enter the confectionery space in February 2025. The brand will release its fruity flavours in a new texture, combining an airy and crunchy tasting experience. They’re aimed at the snacking market as an unwrapped treat that consumers can enjoy on the go. The new product will be available in 3.1 oz bags.
Chupa Chups debuts its advent calendar
In a first for the lollipop brand, Chupa Chups releases its 24-door advent calendar, complete with lollipops, jellies and bubble gum.
Available from World of Sweets and CJ Lang retailers, the Perfetti Van Melle brand will give consumers daily treats throughout December from brands like Melody Pops and Big Babol.
Mars unveils two new Christmas treats
Multinational chocolate manufacturer Mars Wrigley has brought out a new M&M’s Crispy Milk Chocolate Santa Treat and Twix & Friends Medium Selection Box for Christmas. The new M&M’s Crispy Milk Chocolate Santa Treat is a Santa-shaped milk chocolate product that contains vanilla crisp and M&M’s Minis.
Mars is also launching its Twix & Friends Medium Selection Box. It contains a Twix Milk Chocolate Caramel, a Twix Salted Caramel fun size bar, a Twix White Chocolate fun size bar, an M&M’s Milk Chocolate fun size bag and a Milky Way Magic Stars fun size bag.
Freedom Confectionery releases mallows in the US
The allergy-friendly and plant-based sweets confectionery brand Freedom Confectionery is taking its marshmallow products to the US, including its latest sharing pouches.
Announcing its latest joint venture with LBB Distribution, Freedom Confectionery will see its natural, clean-label confectionery collection enter the retail market. Freedom Confectionery’s marshmallow products are free from 14 common allergens, contain no high fructose corn syrup or palm oil. They are also positioned as gelatine free, gluten free, GMO free and fat free.
The brand’s most recent launch is its 170g/6oz sharing pouches. Freedom Confectionery is targeting its sharing pouches and products as a guilt-free treat for families to eat together.
Sweet startup spotlight: Cox & Co
Cox & Co, the single-origin dark chocolate brand, is launching its advent calendar ahead of this festive season. Using its 100% sustainably farmed from farm to bar, the vegan chocolate contains slightly bitter coffee and caramel flavour notes.
The UK brand’s vegan advent calendar contains 24 5-gram plain single-origin 60% Colombian cacao dark chocolates. Leaning further into premium and sustainability trends, the festive staple comes in 100% paper packaging that can be recycled domestically.
