Michele Buck

HERSHEY, Pa. — Hershey Co. has provided a glimpse into how its digital growth strategies are fully integrated with its in-store retailing programs.

An Analyst Event at the company’s Global Customer Innovation Center (GCIC) here yesterday was hosted by CEO Michele Buck and CFO Patricia Little. The day focused on Hershey’s consumer-first strategies for growing snacks as physical and digital shopping converges with, Chief digital commerce officer Doug Straton and, chief sales officer Phil Stanley led the discussion.

“While the retail environment continues to change how our products are purchased, consumer desire for our brands remains,” said Buck. “We have the right vision, strategies, organization and talent to drive commercial advantage and our far-reaching digital transformation efforts are an important element to win in the fast-changing retail landscape.”

Key insights shared with the analyst community include:

• How digital transformation fits into Hershey’s innovative snacking powerhouse vision.
• Detail around the company’s “5C” digital strategy, including the emphasis on its consumer-first orientation to deliver on needs and expectations.
• An overview of snack shopping behavior, the retail models that exist today and how Hershey is deploying its portfolio to win against each model and trip mission.
• The strategy to win search with thumb-stopping, mobile-first content.
• How Hershey is capturing the opportunity for planned and unplanned purchases as digital shopping grows.
• The role data plays in developing one-to-one connections with consumers.
A replay of the event is available at https://edge.media-serv er.com/m6/p/jfomywm8.