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HERSHEY, Pa. — Hershey Co. is expanding its snack lineup with Hershey’s Cookie Layer Crunch, which the company called one of the brand’s most-anticipated offerings in over 16 years.
Due out later this year, Hershey’s Cookie Layer Crunch wraps the iconic Hershey’s chocolate bar around layers of crunchy cookie bits and rich fillings. The bars come in three flavors — caramel, vanilla creme and mint – and contain a portion-controlled 90 to 100 calories each, Hershey said.
The new confection meets consumers’ rising demand for multitextural eating experiences and various snacking occasions, according to the company.
“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. Hershey wanted to bring consumers an indulgent snack that is a different experience from the classic Hershey’s chocolate bar, but still just as delicious,” stated Mary-Ann Somers, general manager and vice president for the U.S. at Hershey. “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.”
Hershey noted that based on prelaunch consumer-testing, Hershey’s Cookie Layer Crunch earned some of the highest consumer scores of any product ever launched by the company. According to the BASES report, a Nielsen Co. service, Hershey’s Cookie Layer Crunch scored in the top 2.5% of consumer packaged goods concepts ever tested, Hershey reported.
Plans call for Hershey’s Cookie Layer Crunch to make its debut at the company’s exhibit at the National Association of Convenience Stores show on Oct. 18 to 21 in Atlanta. Hershey said that starting in October and continuing through 2017, the company will support the new product launch with a range of marketing initiatives.
Hershey’s Cookie Layer Crunch is slated to begin rolling out to retailers nationally in December. The bars will be offered in multiple sizes, including a 6.3-oz. bag with nine individually wrapped pieces ($4.19 suggested retail price), a 3.5-oz. XL Bar with five pieces ($2.89), a 2.1-oz. King Size Bar with three pieces ($1.69, in caramel flavor only), and a two-piece 1.4-oz. bar for on-the-go snacking (99 cents, in caramel only).
