6 Things I Learned on an Easter Candy “Courtside Run” with a Hershey Sales Lead

March 24, 2026

Any candy lover knows that The Hershey Co. and holidays go hand in hand. But for the people who work at Hershey, the holidays mean something different. For weeks — or even months — leading up to a holiday, Hershey's retail sales teams work with stores to build holiday-themed displays and fill shelves with seasonal treats, while also making sure all the year-round products are available to consumers.

To support them during the busiest times, Hershey launched a program in 2014 called Helping Hands, which pairs corporate employees with retail salespeople to assist them in stores. This year, I had the opportunity to be a Helping Hand. Although I'm not a Hershey employee, I've been writing for the company for about 10 years, so I was thrilled at the prospect of closing my laptop and immersing myself in a day in the life in the field.

Pictured, from left: Kate Silver, freelance writer; Lauren Marshall, territory sales lead, The Hershey Co.

I was paired with Lauren Marshall, a territory sales lead in Chicago, who plays a critical role during peak seasons like Easter, ensuring shelves are stocked, displays are executed flawlessly and shoppers can find what they need. Marshall started working for Hershey about eight months ago. Long before she was hired, though, she was well prepared: Her aunt, Laura Hennessey, was a Hershey territory sales lead for 43 years before retiring.

"She's like a Hershey legend," Marshall said.

Marshall's territory includes 38 stores on Chicago's North Side and in the suburbs, which means she spends a lot of time in her car — and in Chicago traffic. But she loves getting to know the people she meets in stores and her regional colleagues. She also appreciates having easy access to her favorite sweets, like Reese's Caramel Cups and Hot Cocoa Hershey's Kisses chocolates.

In early March, I joined Marshall on visits to two of her big-box stores. This was her second Helping Hands experience, and after spending three hours building a single Halloween display, she said she appreciates the support. After a day prepping shelves and Easter displays, I walked away with a new appreciation for behind-the-scenes retail work. Here's what I learned:

1. This job can be a workout. At each stop, Marshall walks through the entire store to make sure she doesn't miss anything, including end-of-aisle displays, known as endcaps, that sometimes pop up without warning and might need to be restocked. She loads a cart in the back room with product — those big boxes of Kisses are especially heavy — then stacks empty boxes to haul to the trash compactor before repeating the process at the next store. By the time I got home, we'd walked nearly 2.5 miles, and it was only half her day. "It's definitely physical," she said, adding that as a former college athlete and runner, she takes it in stride.
2. Appearance is everything. Much of Marshall's day is spent perfecting shelf presentation. She plucks a bag of Reese's White Creme Peanut Butter Cups that was misplaced and puts it where it belongs. She props up bags of Easter Hershey's Kisses so the label is facing the right direction. She notices a box of orange-flavored Twizzlers twists is almost empty, so she opens a new one and combines the boxes. I jump in to help, shifting items to make room for full cases so shelves stay full and easy for shoppers to navigate.

Pictured: Marshall uses Hershey technology in the field.

3. Sales teams have a lot to think about. I found the stocking and arranging surprisingly calming — but that's only part of the job. Before each store visit, Marshall reviews sales data, looking for what's working and what's not. At our first stop, she noticed the snacking segment was up more than 100% and pondered why. "The last time I was here, they had a Dot's Homestyle Pretzels pallet that just arrived that was up in the back room," she said. "My guess is that they got it out on the floor." When we arrived later, her hunch proved right: A large Dot's floor display was driving sales, while nearby shelves sat empty. We loaded up a cart and redistributed the bags, so everything was evenly stocked.

   Marshall and her team also use technology like augmented reality to help show store managers exactly where a display could go, and image-recognition tools to evaluate sales information. That helps ensure decisions are data-driven.

4. Every territory (and store) has its own pace and rhythm. Marshall said her territory is unique because even her big-box stores are relatively small. She recently joined another territory sales lead for a "buddy day" to experience a different route. The buddy had some of the biggest stores, so it was eye-opening for both. Regardless of size, each territory sales lead is challenged to get to know the key decision-makers in each store and figure out how to best support them. "That's turned out to be one of the most rewarding parts of the job," Marshall said. "Now I can walk in, and I know what each one wants to hear, which things matter to them and how I can best help."
5. Hershey is everywhere. Hershey products aren't confined to the candy aisle. Even after writing hundreds of Hershey stories, I was still struck by the sheer variety packed into one store, including new additions—SkinnyPop Harry Potter™ Butterbeer-Flavored Kettle Popcorn, anyone? Add baking chips and chocolate syrup, and it's easy to see why Marshall walks the entire store: Hershey products are everywhere, and they're synonymous with many people's events and special occasions.

Pictured: SkinnyPop Harry Potter™ Butterbeer-Flavored Kettle Popcorn.

6. After spending time in the store, you see things differently. I arrived at our second stop before Marshall and I wandered for a few minutes. Now that I've had the tiniest bit of training, I started to see things differently. Walking through the store, I came to a Dot's display, and some of the bags were in disarray. Subtly, I straightened them. Then I saw a SkinnyPop endcap. A bag on the lowest shelf was about to fall off, so I placed it upright on a higher shelf, where it was easier for a shopper to grab. I told Marshall about this when she arrived, and she said she does the same thing when she shops for groceries, even when she's not at one of her stores. After Marshall and I parted ways, I stopped for gas on my way home. On a whim, I popped into the store and rewarded myself to a Reese's treat for the drive. After serving as a kind of proxy Hershey worker for the day, it tasted that much sweeter.

Learn more about becoming a Territory Sales Lead at The Hershey Company.