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Now that Halloween has come and gone, you might have wrongly assumed that candy season is over. Not if the Hershey Company anything to say about it. In fact, the sweets are just getting started. On its first-annual holiday virtual preview this week, the confectionary company revealed four exciting new products and explained how the company is stocked and ready to make the hectic holiday season even sweeter. Here’s what to know: What new items does Hershey have up its sleeve? Hershey announced four new treats that will hit shelves this holiday season: Hersheys Kisses Snickerdoodle Cookie Candy Kit Kat Peppermint Stick Reese’s Mini Trees Hersheys Grinch Milk Chocolate Bar [Photos: Hershey] After extensive market research, Hershey discovered that a resounding 76% of people stated they would purchase a snickerdoodle-flavored option, and Hersey is obliging with new snickerdoodle Kisses. Its the perfect topping for a cookie and theres even a recipe right on the packaging. The gold wrapper also looks delightful in a candy dish. Research also showed that mint is a popular flavor during the winter months. To capitalize on that trend, Kit Kat bars now have a peppermint version. These come in snack size, normal size, and king size to appease all hunger magnitudes. Meanwhile, the classic Hersheys Milk Chocolate Bars are continuing their partnership with the Grinch, Dr. Seuss’s iconic Christmas hater. Popular characters such as Cindy Lou Who, Max, and the big-hearted green guy himself are molding into the chocolate making it extra festive. Cheerful shapes are also here to stay. Reeses Peanut Butter Trees, now available in a mini version, are a perfect tree trimming snack. How Hershey became a confectionary powerhouse These days, the name Hershey is almost synonymous with chocolate bars but the company actually started with caramel. In 1886, Milton S. Hershey founded the Lancaster Caramel Company in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. After attending the Worlds Columbian Exposition of 1893, Hershey fell in love with chocolate and created the Hershey Chocolate Company as a subsidiary of his original company. In 1900, he would sell the Lancaster Caramel Company but retain the chocolate side of the business. That same year, the first Hershey’s Milk Chocolate bars were sold in an effort to make the confection affordable to the average person. Hershey’s Chocolate Kisses would make their debut seven years later. In 1925, the Goodbar was introduced, and in 1963 Hershey acquired H.B. Reese Candy Company. The Hershey Company today is the parent company for over 100 brands, including Jolly Rancher, Rolos, and SkinnyPop. With a market cap of roughly $34 billion, the company reported net sales of $11.2 billion last year. And it’s not just about sweet treats. Hershey’s salty snacks unit in North America grew 10% in the third quarter of this year, generating $321 million. It’s never too early Hersheys is ready for the big holiday shopping rush. In the preview event, the company explained that customers shop early because they are planning ahead, want a little treat for themselves, and dont want to miss out on limited-edition items. So if you were worried about missing the Halloween season, consider holiday sweets as just as satisfying. And as an added bonus, you get to create traditions around the confections that don’t require anything scary. Savor the sweetness of the season with Hersheys many merry offerings.
Category:
E-Commerce
Technology stocks fell on Friday, amid fears of an AI bubble, a further drawn out federal government shutdown, and economic data that suggests consumer sentiment has fallen toward record-low levels. That’s in addition to economic data that showed last month’s layoffs hit their highest level for Octoberin 20 years. That report, from global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, also also said hiring slowed to lowest point in 14 years. Despite strong third-quarter earnings reports, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (^IXIC) was down once again, for the second consecutive day, about 1% in afternoon trading on Friday, as big Tech Stocks tumbled, closing out the week as the Index heads toward what could be its worst week since April, when the Trump Administration introduced its Liberation Day tariffs. Chip stock Arm Holdings plc (ARM) was down 4%, while Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD) fell 3%, and Al chip designer Nvidia (NVDA) was down 1%, at the time of this writing in afternoon trading, as investors worry about high valuations, and mass layoffs in the name of artificial intelligence (AI). Tesla (TSLA) was also down some 3%. Among those sounding alarm bells is hedge fund investor Michael Burry, who runs Scion Asset Management, and is betting against both betting against both Nvidia and Palantir. According to his Securities and Exchange Commission filings, Scion bought an estimated $187.6 million in puts on Nvidia, and another $912 million on Palantir, as CNN reported. Burry has warned both companies are overvalued. (Burry famously predicted the 2008 housing market collapse, and was made famous by the 2015 film The Big Short.) Last week Burry posted on X, “Sometimes, we see bubbles. Sometimes, there is something to do about it. Sometimes, the only winning move is not to play,” in what some think is his way of saying there is an AI bubble.
Category:
E-Commerce
With Black Friday just about three weeks away, retailers and shoppers have one thing on their mindChristmas, the busiest and most profitable time of the year. And now, with Halloween behind us, Spirit Halloween has pivoted to holiday-themed Spirit Christmas, featuring festive decor, gifts, holiday apparel, and interactive displaysincluding nutcrackers, inflatable lawn Santas, and ugly Christmas sweaters. The retail chain, owned by Spencer Gifts, launched nearly a dozen Spirit Christmas stores throughout the Northeast in 2024. This year, Spirit Christmas is opening 30 store locations in 12 states in the Northeast and Great Lakes area, including its flagship store in Mays Landing, New Jersey. Those stores are in: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania (see below for a full list of locations). As for the Spirit Halloween locations, some are making the transition to Christmas themes, while others are closing down till next year. Here are all 30 Spirit Christmas locations, according the store locator: CONNECTICUT Manchester, CT Milford, CT DELAWARE Christiana, DE ILLINOIS Bloomingdale, IL Joliet, IL Naperville, IL INDIANA Fort Wayne, IN Merrillville, IN KENTUCKY Lexington, KY MARYLAND Waldorf, MD MASSACHUSETTS North Attleborough, MA Dartmouth, MA MICHIGAN Grand Rapids, MI Novi, MI NEW HAMPSHIRE Salem, NH NEW JERSEY Cherry Hill, NJ Lawrenceville, NJ Mays Landing, NJ Paramus, NJ Rockaway, NJ Toms River, NJ NEW YORK Amherst, NY Bohemia, NY Poughkeepsie, NY OHIO Mentor, OH North Canton, OH PENNSYLVANIA Bethel Park, PA Erie, PA Pittsburgh, PA Whitehall, PA
Category:
E-Commerce
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