June 29, 2026
In May, Las Vegas served as the glittering backdrop to the confection and snack industry’s biggest event: the Sweets & Snacks Expo, hosted by the National Confectioners Association. This year, more than 17,500 industry professionals and 1,000-plus exhibitors gathered in Las Vegas, giving us a front-row view into the future of snacking.
At the Hershey booth, our Reese’s + NCAA activation drew attendees while our Hershey Insights Center showcased our category leadership and consumer insights. The ONE Hershey team met with customers, partners, media, influencers and creators to explore how we’re leading Next Generation Snacking and helping consumers feel good about every bite. What was especially interesting was that the future of snacking is not about one category; it is about enhancing consumer moments with the right mix of taste and texture, variety, benefits and retail execution.
I spent time on the showroom floor gauging the pulse of what’s happening in the industry. Here are my top takeaways.
Consumers want snacks that do more
- First, consumers are not choosing between indulgence, function and fun anymore. They increasingly expect snacks to deliver all three at the same time.
- I saw a wide range of products in the permissible indulgence and functional categories, including items featuring protein, fiber and caffeine across sweet, salty, mint and gum categories.
- Big flavors are continuing to gain momentum. Consumers want unique flavors, often with global influences, and brands are delivering with pucker-worthy pickle spices and sweet heat like Dot’s Homestyle Pretzels Chipotle Honey. And speaking of Dot’s, the ONE Hershey team was thrilled to see several products honored in the show’s Most Innovative and New Products Awards, with Dot’s Snack Mix receiving the Powerhouse Award for Snack, and Reese’s OREO® Peanut Butter Cup and Ice Breakers Snow Cone were both recognized as finalists.
- New textures and formats are shaking things up. Snack lovers are looking for unexpected textures, fueled in part by a social-first culture that celebrates a sense of surprise and discovery. I saw that play out in products that were layered, crunchy, gummy, or soft like our ONE Reese’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Layered Bar.
Our advantage is turning insights into action
For Hershey, the opportunity is not just identifying these trends, it’s translating them into products, merchandising and retail solutions that help our customers grow.
- Permissible indulgence and functional foods: Consumers who are looking for snacks that they can feel good about often gravitate toward brands like Pirate’s Booty, SkinnyPop, and LesserEvil while our ONE and FULFIL brands deliver protein with low sugar. Products like Hershey’s Zero Sugar Cookies ‘n’ Crème Pouch and the FULFIL Chocolate Chocolate Chip Bar show how we’re bringing that same thinking in existing brands and new formats consumers already know and love.
- Bold flavors: Jolly Rancher turned up the heat this year with spicy-sweet Jolly Rancher Heat Wave Gummies; while Twizzlers leaned into the dirty soda trend through the new Twizzlers Straws flavor with a blend of vanilla, lime and coconut notes.
- Exciting textures and formats: Our Shaq-A-Licious SLAMS surprise consumers with a mix of shapes and textures, from crunchy to gummy; We extended the bold flavor of Dot’s into Snack Mix, which was recognized as a Innovation of the Year…
Limited-time offers (LTOs) and partnerships create buzz
Cultural relevance is currency, and brands know how important it is to break through the noise with a product that’s worthy of consumers’ attention. I saw a lot of clever examples of LTOs and partnerships, including snacks with ties to major sporting events and sweets tied into popular television series.
Hershey builds these cultural connections in a number of ways, including partnerships with Scream 7, the NCAA, and our role as an Official Supporter of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 and so many more. Ahead of the World Cup, we’re also leaning into soccer’s growing cultural momentum through a new campaign with Christian Pulisic, our hometown hero, highlighting his ties to Hershey, PA., and the pride that comes from showing up on one of the world’s biggest sports stages.
For Hershey, the focus is not just doing more activations; it is choosing the moments where our brands can show up in bigger, more meaningful ways.
We all returned home energized about what the future holds. From permissible indulgence to strategic partnerships, the trends we saw reinforce how quickly the snacking landscape is evolving. As consumers’ expectations continue to change, we’re committed as ever to turning insights into innovation as we Lead Next Generation Snacking.