Ferrero transforms Ferrero Rochar, Nutella in the US market

Ferrero North America is adding a doctoral flavour to TIC TACS in the hopes of adding peanuts to Nutella, turning the ferreroro char sphere into a square, and attracting more US consumers.

The confectioner unveiled the new slate before the annual Sweets and Snack Expo, which begins Monday in Indianapolis. The company will be exhibiting the largest new products ever, including butterfinger marshmallows and crunch whites at the trade event.

Founded in Italy but now based in Luxembourg, Ferrero enrolled in North America almost half a century ago, but has actually started investing in the market over the past decade. It recently brought some of its global brands to the US, like Kinder, the maker of Kinder Buenos and Joy Egg.

Ferrero also expanded its US business through a series of acquisitions: Fannie May, owner Ferrera of Brach, US Candy Business in Nestlé, and Hello Top Owner Wells Enterprises. The Nestlé deal brought geeks, butterfingers and lacenets, among other things, into the Ferrero portfolio.

Ferrero becomes the third largest US candy company, according to Evercore ISI, tracking only Hershey and Mars. But to fill the gap, it still has a lot of evidence to cover. Ferrero Rocher holds 2% of the US chocolate market share in the 12 weeks ended April 6, citing data from Circana. This is well below the double-digit share held by Hershey’s candy and wreath of the same name, and Mars’ M&M.

“Ferrero was very clear. The US is the largest market in the world and the most important market in the world. We’ll win in the US,” Michael Lindsey, president and chief business officer of Ferrero North America, told CNBC, referring to Giovanni Ferrero, the company’s executive chairman.

Like a publicly available candy company Hershee and Monderes According to the company, there has been a sales struggle in recent months. The parent company held by the individual had an 8.9% increase in sales or revenue for the fiscal year ended August 31st, Ferrero disclosed.

Now, the company focuses on organic growth through innovation aimed at specifically appealing to US consumers.

“We need to Americanize it at some point in order to reach the next level of love with American consumers,” Lindsay said. “In a very simple way, our strategy is to employ these global power brands, or recently acquired US power brands, and showcase an American twist that consumers here have never seen before.

Ferrero plans to bring American twists to many of its biggest products.

Its iconic Ferreroro Char candy turns into a square with chocolate shells, hazelnuts and creamy fillings. This product comes in five varieties: milk, dark, white, caramel and various, and will reach the shelf in September.

Ferrero Rocher is not the only brand that gets a dramatic addition.

For the first time in 60 years, Nutella introduces a new flavor: Nutella Peanut. The spread combines classic Nutella cocoa and hazelnut flavors with roasted peanuts. I’ll hit a grocery shelf next spring.

While the product will be first launched in the US, Lindsay said he has already followed the appeals from international colleagues who are already excited about the new flavor.

“I think it will work very well, and as far as we can, we will start shipping some overseas,” he said.

Given the existing preferences for both peanuts and Nutella, Lindsay hopes Nutella peanuts will become a huge hit in Southeast Asia and the Persian Gulf. According to Lindsay, Saudi Arabia has the highest per capita consumption of Nutella in the world.

Ferrero is investing $75 million to support the production of Nutella peanuts at its existing factory in Franklin Park, Illinois. The company is also expanding its production facility in Ontario, Canada, to support the production of Ferrero Rochar chocolate squares and Nutella biscuits.

Ferrero also sources hazelnuts from Oregon and is working to localize the nut supply chain, a key ingredient in both Nutella and Ferrero Roche.

The company’s investment in North American supply chains was introduced before Trump’s administration’s tariffs in dozens of countries, but the timing is coincidence.

“This has been going on for a few years now, and was part of Ferrero’s long-term strategy when he entered the US market about 10-15 years ago. Clearly, recent events have made it even more important to localize the supply chain,” Lindsay said the company has grown from 300 employees 10 years ago to over 5,000 today.

Additionally, Ferrero’s US investment is not limited to the supply chain. Lindsay said the company plans to “become very big” in its marketing for the brand.

“In fact, without ruining that, we can hope to start seeing us next year, say February 2026, and in the summer of 2026, at the biggest sporting event in the world,” he said.

After all, what are Americans more than soccer?

Modification: Michael Lindsey is president and CEO of North American Ferrero. Previous versions spelled his name wrong.