Inside Hershey’s Travel Retail Reset: Brands, Bold Design and Global Ambition
3 minutes read
Introduction by: Peter Marshall
The Hershey Company recently unveiled a fresh new look for its travel retail business under the ‘Take the Taste With You’ platform – a unifying creative that brings together its flagship Hershey’s, Reese’s and Kisses brands.
With bold colours, modernised visuals and a renewed focus on storytelling, the confectionery giant is signalling a new chapter for its global travel retail ambitions.
TRunblocked.com’s Colleen Morgan caught up with Ahmad Nasser, General Manager MEA and World Travel Retail at The Hershey Company, to discuss the company’s evolving strategy, brand positioning, innovation priorities and how it’s keeping pace with today’s travelling consumers.
Colleen Morgan: Could you start by outlining The Hershey Company’s current global travel retail strategy? How does this channel fit within Hershey’s broader international growth ambitions?
Ahmad Nasser: Travel retail is a strategic growth channel for us and plays an important role in building brand awareness and driving trial among global consumers.
It supports our broader international ambitions by allowing us to reach new audiences in high traffic environments – places where storytelling, discovery and impulse really matter. Travel retail gives our brands a unique opportunity to connect with travellers at key moments in their journey.
CM: Hershey’s latest financial results showed a decline in international sales amid challenging markets and rising ingredient costs. What plans are in place to maintain profitability and growth in travel retail under these economic pressures?
AN: Like many in the industry, we’re navigating rising ingredient costs and market volatility, but we’re taking a disciplined approach. That means streamlining operations and optimising assortments to protect profitability.
Travel retail continues to benefit from strong margins and impulse-driven purchasing, which makes it a resilient channel for us. We’re leaning into strategic pricing, localised promotions and close collaboration with our retail partners to sustain momentum and support long-term growth.
CM: The company recently unveiled a refreshed travel-retail identity under the ‘Take the Taste With You’ platform, featuring new visuals and messaging. What inspired this rebrand, and does it signal a new chapter for Hershey in the channel?
AN: ‘Take the Taste With You’ brings Hershey’s, Reese’s and Kisses together under one bold, emotionally resonant identity focused on indulgence, gifting and delight.
The platform is designed to be modular and playful, featuring personalised airport messaging such as ‘With love from [X] airport’ and a sense of place which really resonate with Gen Z travellers in particular.
It certainly does mark a new chapter for us. We debuted the platform at TFWA Cannes with immersive storytelling and playful activations – including Reese’s first-class selfie zone – and we’re excited to begin rolling it out in-store from 2026.
CM: The platform brings together Hershey’s, Reese’s, and Kisses under one cohesive global identity. How does this influence the positioning, packaging, and presentation of each brand to travellers worldwide?
AN: ‘Take the Taste with You’ creates a strong, unified visual identity that enhances shelf impact and makes navigation easier for travellers.
Packaging is designed with travel in mind, focusing on portable formats, gifting cues and universal iconography that resonate across cultures. Importantly, while the brands sit together visually, each retains its own distinct personality within the overall Hershey universe.
CM: How will ‘Take the Taste With You’ come to life in-store?
AN: The platform includes immersive displays, digital touchpoints and seasonal activations – all designed to stop travellers in their tracks.
At TFWA Cannes, our interactive zones and gifting stations drove strong engagement and generated very positive feedback from both retail partners and visitors. Those learnings are now informing how we translate the platform into store environments globally.
CM: Emotional connection is a key driver in confectionery. How is Hershey using storytelling, design, and digital engagement to turn impulse moments into repeat purchases or long-term brand loyalty among travellers?
AN: Emotional connection is central to our approach. We lean into nostalgia, gifting rituals and cultural storytelling to create meaningful moments for travellers.
Digital elements, such as QR codes linking to brand stories or recipe inspiration, help extend the experience beyond the store. The aim is to turn an impulse purchase into a lasting memory – and ultimately, repeat engagement with our brands.
CM: Given ongoing economic and supply-chain pressures, how is Hershey protecting performance and profitability in travel retail while continuing to invest in innovation and long-term category growth?
AN: We’re investing heavily in data-driven merchandising and strengthening supply-chain resilience to protect margins, while continuing to innovate.
Looking ahead, our focus is on expanding digital engagement, advancing sustainability goals and deepening collaboration with our retail partners to drive long-term category growth.
CM: And just to close, if there were three things you could change in the travel retail channel, what would they be?
AN: We’d love to see greater flexibility in merchandising and display guidelines, opening the door for richer, more creative storytelling that really connects with travellers.
Better data sharing from retailers is another big one. When we have deeper shopper insights, we can tailor assortments and promotions in ways that truly resonate.
And finally, streamlining logistics and harmonising regulations across regions would go a long way in reducing complexity and helping brands operate more efficiently.
