The Hershey Company has acquired Sour Strips, “a fast-growing sour candy brand with a powerful social media presence.”

According to Hershey, Sour Strips' "sour candy that doesn't suck" enhances Hershey's presence in the category and expands its reach to new consumers for more snacking occasions.

Founded in 2019 by social media personality Maxx Chewning, Sour Strips set out to invigorate the sour candy category by combining “shockingly sour flavors with innovative branding to elevate the candy experience.” Chewning will continue to lead marketing and innovation efforts for the brand.

"The acquisition of Sour Strips expands Hershey's offerings within our growing sweets portfolio with a product that is beloved by consumers," said Mike Del Pozzo, president, U.S. confection, The Hershey Company. "We're energized to welcome Maxx and the Sour Strips team to Hershey as we relentlessly accelerate our growth in sweets."

"Hershey's exceptional track record making iconic brands worldwide aligns perfectly with our vision for Sour Strips. Together with Hershey, our team is excited to continue delivering extraordinary experiences to candy enthusiasts around the globe," said Chewning.

The NACS State of the Industry Report® of 2023 Data showed candy has become more important to c-store sales, increasing 8.6% year over year to a contribution of $8,183 per store, per month and contributing almost 5% to gross margin.

Read more about recent candy releases in this NACS Daily article from October.