HERSHEY, Pa. -- Two significant new-product releases from Hershey and Mondelez aim to capitalize on a consumer trend toward combining textures and flavors.
Hershey's new Cookie Layer Crunch meets the growing consumer demand for multi-textural eating experiences, the chocolate company said.
Hershey's chose National Cookie Month to debut its newest product, which will be formally unveiled at the NACS Show Oct. 18-21 in Atlanta.
The Cookie Layer Crunch joins rival Mondelez' Milka Oreos in combining cookies and chocolate. Both companies seek to capture more share of the $14 billion U.S. chocolate market.
Mondelez announced in September that it is bringing Milka Oreos to the United States this fall, a move that followed an abandoned attempt in late August by Mondelez to buy the Hershey Co.
Hershey's said the Cookie Layer Crunch product has been in development for 18 months, and based on pre-launch consumer-testing by a Nielsen Company, scored in the top 2.5% of consumer packaged goods concepts ever tested.
Beginning with National Cookie Month and continuing through 2017, Hershey’s will support the new product with various marketing initiatives.
“We recognize eating habits are evolving and that consumers are moving away from traditional meals and into multiple snacking occasions that include various tastes and textures throughout the day,” said Mary-Ann Somers, Hershey's general manager and vice president, U.S. “We’ve spent the last 18 months perfecting this innovation to ensure that it not only tastes great, but meets the needs and desires of today’s modern consumer.”
The product comes in three flavors: caramel, vanilla crème and mint. Each piece is portion controlled at 90 to 100 calories and will be available at retail nationally starting in December. The cookie comes in a range of bars and share bags, with suggested retail prices ranging from 99-cents to $2.89.
The Hershey Co, Hershey, Pa., is a global confectioner with approximately 21,000 employees around the world and more than 80 brands that drive more than $7.4 billion in annual revenues.
Mondelez International, East Hanover, N.J., reported 2015 net revenues of approximately $30 billion.
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