Overview
- Hershey confirmed it will increase prices across its confection portfolio by a low double-digit percentage to offset soaring cocoa costs.
- The company emphasized the hike is driven solely by rising ingredient expenses and is not linked to tariffs or trade policies.
- Retailers can expect price changes and reduced pack sizes under Hershey’s updated price-pack architecture to take effect in about 90 days.
- Global cocoa futures climbed 178% in 2024 after a 61% rise in 2023 as poor harvests in Ghana and Ivory Coast were worsened by climate-related weather and crop disease.
- Hershey is preparing to shift focus toward less cocoa-intensive products as part of its long-term strategy against sustained commodity volatility.