The Hershey Company Unwraps Festive Offerings for the 2026 Holiday Season
The season's favorite brands return with new festive treats, beloved characters and salty additions to make holiday moments even more magical
HERSHEY, Pa., Nov. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- From the first candy dish set out for the season to the last stocking filled, The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY) is bringing a little more magic to every holiday moment. The 2026 lineup blends playful new treats, festive flavors, seasonal shapes and sweet-and-salty snacks, including Hershey's Kisses Cindy-Lou Who Strawberry Sugar Cookie candies, KIT KAT® Santa and Reindeer and Reese's Reindeer Mix—for treating, baking, entertaining, gifting and sharing.
As families adapt holiday traditions to fit their lives, familiar rituals still matter: 78% of parents say replicating childhood traditions is important1, while 62% of parents with children under 18 have modified traditions to better fit their lifestyles2.
Hershey's 2026 portfolio brings both together, pairing familiar brands and seasonal traditions with playful new products designed for how people celebrate today. Because however the season takes shape, the holidays start with Hershey.
"People are finding new ways to make holiday traditions fit their lives while holding onto the moments and favorites they love," said Samantha Siegal, Senior Director, Marketing, The Hershey Company. "Our holiday portfolio brings both together, pairing familiar favorites with playful flavors, new formats and sweet-and-salty choices for the way people gather, give and celebrate today."
New innovations and assortments bring that variety to holiday giftings and gatherings all season long, including:
- Hershey's Kisses Cindy-Lou Who Strawberry Sugar Cookie: A limited-edition Hershey's Kisses flavor inspired by Cindy-Lou Who from Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! pairing strawberry and sugar cookie notes in festive foils fit for the season. The seasonal bag adds playful color and sweet storybook spirit to candy dishes, baking moments and sharing occasions.
- Hershey's Hugs Max the Dog Foils: A merry take on classic Hershey's Hugs candies, wrapped in Max the Dog foils from Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! that brings a wink of Who-ville charm to the holiday portfolio. The shareable bag is ready to brighten candy dishes, seasonal gatherings and giftable moments with a little extra grin-worthy magic.
- KIT KAT® Santa & Reindeer: Classic crispy KIT KAT® wafers covered in smooth milk chocolate return in festive Santa and, this time, he's joined by his reindeer! Available in multiple pack types, the seasonal format adds a playful dash of workshop-ready cheer to individual treats, sharing and gifting.
- Reese's Reindeer Mix: A festive sweet-and-salty mix featuring milk chocolate-drizzled popcorn, Reese's baking chips, Reese's Mini Trees and Reese's Pieces Candy. The resealable pouch is built for holiday snacking, sharing and gifting, with a merry mix of textures that feels made for movie nights and fireside gatherings.
Expanding Holiday Snacking with Salty Favorites
Holiday snacking extends well beyond the candy dish. As consumers move through movie nights, gatherings, entertaining and everyday seasonal moments, Hershey is expanding the portfolio with salty and sweet-and-salty options, including: SkinnyPop Elf Maple Syrup Kettle Corn: For a festive twist on a feel-good favorite, we took a page from Buddy the Elf's playbook to bring you a sweet, crunchy and seriously satisfying Maple Syrup flavored Kettle Popcorn. Straight from the bag, with your favorite Christmas movie, it's the snack you'll keep reaching for, after the credits have rolled. Son of a nutcracker, it's good.
- LesserEvil Himalayan Sweetness Popcorn: LesserEvil popcorn brings a lighter, better-for-you salty snack into winter celebrations. The individually portioned format works across school events, holiday gatherings, seasonal entertaining and everyday enjoyment throughout the season, adding an easy sprinkle of sweet-and-salty cheer.
Returning Holiday Magic with Seasonal Shapes and Beloved Chocolate Favorites
Some traditions don't need reinventing, just new ways to enjoy them. Hershey's returning seasonal shapes signal the holidays with the familiar brands and flavors consumers love, including:
- Reese's Peanut Butter Trees: O Reese's Tree, O Reese's Tree, how delicious are your branches. The holiday classic is back and as sweet as ever, with smooth peanut butter covered in delectable milk chocolate. Buy these Reese's Peanut Butter Trees for stuffing stockings, filling the candy dish or stocking your pantry for sweet snacking all winter long.
- Reese's Mini Trees: Unwrapped mini Reese's Trees bring the classic chocolate-and-peanut butter combination into a festive seasonal shape. The resealable pouch is made for treating yourself, gifting and holiday sharing, bringing back a beloved tree-shaped treat that feels right at home under the lights.
- Hershey's Kisses Snickerdoodle Cookie: Warm snickerdoodle cookie flavor meets classic Hershey's Kisses candies in a festive seasonal bag. The format brings nostalgic baked-cookie warmth to candy dishes, sharing occasions and holiday baking moments, like a fresh-from-the-oven favorite wrapped in foil.
- KIT KAT® Peppermint Stick: Crisp KIT KAT® wafers meet bright peppermint flavor in a festive standard-size bar. Also available in snack size, the seasonal format offers a refreshing twist for stockings, candy dishes and individual treats, with a cool snap made for the holidays.
- Hershey's Grinch Milk Chocolate Bar: Creamy Hershey's milk chocolate bars feature festive Grinch packaging in a giftable 6-pack. The multipack is sized for stockings, sharing and small holiday gifts, adding a mischievous pop of holiday character to a classic chocolate favorite.
Something New for Every Holiday Occasion
Hershey is there for every holiday moment, from sparking the season, from early planning and festive discoveries to baking, gifting, filling stockings and creating magic together. Playful flavors, beloved brands and convenient formats help make every celebration feel special through the final gift exchange.
This season, Hershey's Kisses is taking its iconic foil beyond the candy bowl with a limited-edition holiday gift-wrapping foil kit. Inspired by the festive foils and iconic Hershey's Kisses branding, the new wrapping foil kit brings the joy of unwrapping Hershey's Kisses to the presents under the tree. You can purchase yours at shop.hersheys.com/holiday on Cyber Monday, Nov. 30.
For more information on our products, please visit https://www.hersheyland.com/holiday
Pricing is at the sole discretion of the retailer.
FAQs
How are people celebrating the holidays? What's changing?
We work all year to understand how people are celebrating and what they want from the season. Consumers are looking for both beloved traditions and new discoveries across moments like treating themselves, baking, entertaining, sharing and gifting. That understanding shapes a portfolio that balances seasonal favorites with new flavors and formats, from shareable treats for gatherings and smaller stocking stuffers to sweet-and-salty snacks and more elevated gifting options.
How does Hershey use consumer insights to inform the portfolio?
Hershey understands the flavors and formats consumers are looking for and uses that information to ensure its candy feels special for any occasion. By turning fan-favorite flavors into seasonal shapes and creating formats tailored to the real ways consumers celebrate, Hershey ensures its products drive excitement, nostalgia and visual impact.
Which Hershey products can be used for holiday baking this season?
Hershey's holiday lineup offers several festive options for baking, including Hershey's Kisses Cindy-Lou Who Strawberry Sugar Cookie candies, Hershey's Kisses Snickerdoodle Cookie candies and Reese's Reindeer Mix, which features Reese's baking chips alongside milk chocolate-drizzled popcorn, Reese's Mini Trees and Reese's Pieces Candy. These seasonal products bring playful flavors, festive shapes and familiar favorites to cookies, desserts and other holiday baking moments.
Which products are expected to be the biggest holiday "must-haves" this year?
Hershey's key holiday priorities include Hershey's Kisses Strawberry Sugar Cookie, Hershey's Hugs Max the Dog Foils, KIT KAT® Santa & Reindeer and Reese's holiday offerings, alongside broader portfolio innovations that bring variety to seasonal celebrations.
Which products are returning fan favorites?
Fan-favorite products returning for the season include Reese's Peanut Butter Trees, Reese's Mini Trees, Hershey's Kisses Snickerdoodle Cookie candies, KIT KAT® Peppermint Stick bars and Hershey's Grinch Milk Chocolate Bars. These seasonal items continue to be holiday staples for many consumers.
Are there any character-inspired products in this year's lineup?
Several products draw inspiration from Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! including Hershey's Kisses Cindy-Lou Who Strawberry Sugar Cookie candies, Hershey's Hugs Max the Dog Foils and Hershey's Grinch Milk Chocolate Bars. These products add playful holiday storytelling and festive character designs to the seasonal assortment.
TM & © 2026 Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P. All rights reserved.
What are the new salty additions to the portfolio and what role do they play?
Salty snacks continue to play an important role in Hershey's holiday portfolio, helping expand the occasions and ways consumers celebrate throughout the season. New additions such as SkinnyPop Elf Maple Syrup Kettle Corn and LesserEvil Himalayan Sweetness Popcorn complement the confection lineup by offering sweet-and-salty options, adding more breadth and variety to the portfolio.
Which Hershey products are best for stocking stuffers?
Standout stocking-stuffer options include Jolly Rancher Freeze Dried candy, which delivers cherry and green apple flavor in a light, crunchy format. Cadbury CARAMELLO Miniatures, Hershey's Caramels, Hershey's Almond Clusters and York Minis round out the lineup with resealable and gift-ready options that make it easy to add variety to holiday stockings.
When will the holiday products be available in stores?
Holiday products will be available for a limited time at participating retailers nationwide throughout the holiday season. Pricing is at the sole discretion of the retailer.
1 New York Post, "How Important Are Holiday Traditions to Parents? Here's What the Numbers Say," Dec. 14, 2023.
2 Mintel, Multicultural America: Cultural Celebrations and Holidays – US – 2024.
Where can I purchase the limited-edition wrapping foil kit? What colors are available?
You can purchase the wrapping foil kit at shop.hersheys.com/holiday on Cyber Monday, Nov. 30. The kit will be available in three colorways—silver, red and green—as well as a fourth, custom design inspired by Hershey's Kisses. The foils will also be complemented by a plume-inspired ribbon.
About The Hershey Company
The Hershey Company is an industry-leading snacks company with a purpose to make more moments of goodness and a vision to lead next generation snacking. Hershey brings together more than 20,000 employees worldwide to deliver delicious, high-quality products across more than 85 brands in approximately 65 countries, generating more than $11.7 billion in annual revenues.
Hershey brings its full portfolio to market as ONE Hershey, spanning confection, salty and functional snacking categories with beloved brands like Hershey's, Reese's, Kisses, KIT KAT®, Jolly Rancher, Twizzlers and Ice Breakers; salty snacks including SkinnyPop, LesserEvil, Pirate's Booty and Dot's Homestyle Pretzels; and a protein portfolio including ONE Brands and Fulfil.
For more than 130 years, Hershey has operated fairly, ethically and sustainably. Founder Milton Hershey established Milton Hershey School in 1909 and that legacy of purpose endures today through the company's commitment to helping children succeed through equitable access to education.
To learn more visit www.thehersheycompany.com.
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