Hershey announced on Monday that it would unify its operations in the United States, consolidating its sweet, salty, and protein product portfolios under one roof as the chocolate maker seeks to streamline its operations.
Other major packaged food manufacturers, including Nestle and Campbell’s, have also recently undertaken similar streamlining efforts across their businesses.
* This is the first time the maker of Reese’s and SkinnyPop has consolidated brand marketing, category strategy, and consumer insights across its US operations.
* Hershey has faced higher costs related to cocoa and sugar, raising prices selectively and changing packaging as it grapples with weak consumer spending on premium confectionery products.
* The company stated that the new model aims to bring the sales capabilities of its confectionery brands on par with its salty and protein products.
* Moving forward, Hershey U.S. President Andrew Archambault will take on an expanded role overseeing the entire national portfolio, including commercial planning, customer relationships, and retail sales execution; Nitin Jain will join the group as Director of Strategy and Transformation and report directly to the CEO.
* Last August, Kirk Tanner, former chief at Wendy’s, took over at Hershey, succeeding Michele Buck who served as CEO for eight years.
