BG Eats: It’s Hersheyween!

Hershey’s has debuted a huge selection of Halloween candy, as the candy giant gears up for a monster season of goodies.

Hersheyween?

Yes, Hersheyween. If you haven’t been following, “Hersheyween” is a relatively new term, applied to the entirety of the Halloween season by the candy company in question, Hershey’s. Oh, and if you’re really out of the loop, which this writer was, Halloween isn’t the same as the Halloween season.

Apparently the free world has migrated everyone’s favorite autumnal holiday a bit. And that’s equaled up to mean that Halloween, as you might know it, is a season that stretches all the way from August through October. I had the pleasure of finding that out (and more), along with getting a peek at Hershey’s newest offerings at a special event this past August.

It was there that BrutalGamer was supplied with all manner of news, which I’ll be getting into a moment. But before we get to the goodies, let’s talk. more about Hersheyween.

Early season

As mentioned, Halloween (as a season) now begins in the summer. That’s sometimes known as Summerween, and also as the aforementioned Hersheyween. There’s a reason for that too, as Hershey’s has become one of the top three candy brands in the US. Some four million American households stock Hershey’s candy for the holiday, in one form or another.

Those forms though, are changing. Well, a bit anyway. According to Hershey’s, chocolate candies are still king. Simply put, the sweet category is still king of the hill, when it comes to Hershey’s or any other brand for that matter. But families are adding to the list of what they want to snack on, and give out to waiting trick or treaters.

And it’s in that realm that the likes of not only other sweets, but also sours, come in. Those extra layers of candies are just that, extra, with people building on the chocolaty foundation with the likes of Jolly Ranchers and even more surprising goods. How surprising? Well, how does salty and savory sound?

Definitely different in terms of Halloween, Pirate’s Booty, Skinny Pop, and Reece’s Sweet and Salty have all come on board for the season. Right along those same lines too, is Lesser Evil. A decidedly healthier option, the first year of Halloween for Lesser Evil sees a trio of options. So those who’d like a less decadent option can grab a bag of Spooky Popcorn, Spooky Space Balls, or Pumpkin Spice Popcorn.

Take all of that into consideration though, and you have one heck of a season, that’s in full swing as of today. And speaking of, let’s take a deeper look at what’s out there on store shelves.

Staples of Halloween

Halloween just isn’t Halloween without certain candies. At least, not for me it isn’t. True, my days of trick or treating are long gone, but I still like to munch on some seasonal treats. And when you’re talking about seasonal, it doesn’t get much more “Halloween” than Reece’s.

Hershey’s calls the brand a cornerstone of its Halloween offerings. The numbers weight that out too, as I was told that 22% of celebrators name Reece’s as a favorite candy. That’s a mighty number, so of course Hershey’s has plenty of the peanut-buttery treats out there. Shapes are the centerpiece of those, with Reece’s Pumpkins leading the way.

That’s, of course, far from all that’s out there. You might’ve noticed that Hershey’s also has gone pretty heavy on Kit-Kat in the last few years, for example. I sure did, and harkening back to last year, the line is back with more for this year’s festivities.

Included there is the Dracula shaped Kit-Kat’s, which are a personal favorite. I’ve never been that big of a fan of the candy, but the Drac’s are larger, and the greatly increased surface area just kind of works for what Kit-Kat offers. I dig ’em so much that I wish they sold them all year long.

It’s not all standard bearer candies though. Some newer offerings include Cookies and Cream fangs, which have been a hit with the younger set in particular. These white chocolate mini-bars have sculpted fangs on the front, blasting them with a little seasonal spookiness.

And, heading back to the previous section, Jolly Ranchers seem to be absolutely exploding. Seemingly driving the shift towards unconventional treats, the Jolly Rancher line is serving up

A big season for big snacking

That’s a lot of candy and associated snacks. Hershey’s has expanded big time, especially when you dig into the non-chocolate options that the company has in its repertoire. The glut seems to fit too, for a holiday that continues to absolutely explode in American homes.

How big has Halloween gotten? Aside from Christmas, it’s easily the largest commercial holiday on the calendar. And although numbers waver a bit depending on which outlet you read, it looks like well over half of US consumers take part in it. And no, we’re not talking about just kids.

Hershey’s chimes in there, saying that adults are powering a chunk of the candy market, as they try to create moments and memories for their own children. That seems to reflect in the numbers, as the company reports that it’s looking to sell 150 million pounds of candy this year. That’s a number that will fuel the Halloween season for a staggering third of US households. Impressive, to put it mildly.

It certainly looks like, no matter what kind of snack you might craving for the reminder of the season, Hershey’s will have you covered.