New Hershey Insights Centers Offer Three Distinct Capabilities

HERSHEY, Pa. — The Hershey Co. unveiled its newly revamped Hershey Insights Centers, state-of-the-art facilities designed to offer customers across all channels the opportunity to develop strategic plans based on retail growth initiatives and the manufacturer's unique shopper insights.

Based in Pennsylvania, the newly branded Hershey Insights Centers offer three distinct capabilities that reflect the most current retail trends and technologies impacting today's consumer packaged goods (CPG) environment, according to the company.

"We're very proud to build upon Hershey's legacy of category leadership in a new and innovative way," said Ryan Shaffer, senior manager, Hershey Insights Centers. "Showcasing our capabilities in both in-store and digital executions in such as tangible way allows us to deepen customer relationships and explore strategies for growth through an unprecedented experience."

Each capability is built upon Hershey's thought leadership in shopper insights and category management. They include:

Global Customer Insights Center (GCIC)

The 19,000-square-foot collaboration center has undergone an extensive renovation to create a unique experience for retail partners that reflects the most current shopper insights, trends and technology impacting the CPG retail environment.

Lab stations inside the GCIC include paypoints, seasonal solutions and in-aisle merchandising strategies with special environments dedicated to foodservice and global licensing capabilities.

Each gallery offers highly interactive and customizable content for retail partners to see collaborative strategies brought to life, according to Hershey.

Mobile Customer Innovation Center (MCIC)

First launched in 2018, the MCIC is a 53-foot expandable tractor trailer that includes 22-feet by 53-feet of collaborative workspace that can seat up to 15 people. The MCIC was designed to offer customers who cannot travel to Hershey a similar experience to the GCIC.

After nearly two years of inactivity due to COVID-19 restrictions, the MCIC will kick off a national schedule of customer visits to all channels starting in January.

"The MCIC is a game-changer for some of our smaller or regional retail partners that cannot dedicate the time to travel to Hershey," said Shaffer. "We're able to bring our industry-leading insights literally to their front door with a mobile experience that rivals our collaboration space in Hershey."

Hershey Insights Network (HIN)

Developed in response to the coronavirus, the HIN is a virtual platform that allows Hershey to engage with its partners remotely. The HIN operates like a live television newsroom equipped with a multi-camera studio and green-screen capabilities to deliver solutions to retail partners who may be unable to travel.

It has quickly become a way to further the enhance customer collaboration sessions happening inside the GCIC, according to Hershey.

"With the broadcast capabilities of the HIN, we're able to bring not just the most senior executives into planning sessions, but a customer's functional experts in everything from digital to media to operations," Shaffer added. "These new ways to connect with our customers offer a new level of holistic planning and collaboration to unlock growth across the retail experience from the physical to the digital shelf."

Pennsylvania-based Hershey has more than 90 brands globally that drive more than $8 billion in annual revenues, including such iconic brand names as Hershey's, Reese's, Kit Kat, Jolly Rancher, Ice Breakers, SkinnyPop and Pirate's Booty.