How do you convince people to buy candy? It seems like it wouldn’t be a tall task, but it’s actually quite the opposite.

Kristen Riggs joined The Hershey Company in 2005 and has since held a number of commercial leadership roles in brand marketing, shopper marketing, global marketing, and sales. She’s now president of salty snacks where she oversees the company’s growth strategy, which includes the consumer intelligence and strategy team and The Hershey Experience—the company’s Times Square-based experiential brick-and-mortar concept.

As an industry and Hershey’s veteran, Riggs has had the opportunity to work on major brands such as Reese’s, Hershey’s Kisses, and KitKat. In her previous role with the company, as chief growth officer, she was responsible for setting enterprise strategies to drive growth and demand across media, M&A, consumer intelligence, innovation, and R&D.

Although Riggs only started her new role in November 2022, she’s bringing 17 years worth of experience primarily focused on understanding the constantly-shifting consumer demands for a brand whose name is synonymous with chocolate.

“I have two favorites in my work at Hershey. The first is the opportunity to work on brands consumers love and understanding their emotional connections to the moments they share with us,” Riggs told Retail Brew. “The second is working alongside an incredible team that cares deeply for each other and takes great pride in carrying the legacy of our company into the future.”

Life is like a box of chocolates: Before Hershey’s, Riggs had a completely different career as a semiconductor engineer making memory chips for a firm in Austin, Texas. She said her prior experience has helped her see things from several points of view. 

• “Seeing things with multiple lenses always adds perspectives,” she said. “The more experiences you can have—like manufacturing, marketing, and sales—can give you unique insights and ways to connect the business more holistically.”

Keep reading here.—KM

When you think of performance shoes, you don’t necessarily think of Cole Haan, at least not at first.

The brand wants to change that, starting with a complete revamp of its running-shoe line and adding to its growing offering of athletic performance wear.

The line features four different dual-gender styles—Running, Embrostich, Monk Strap, and Outpace 3—all launching today, marking the brand’s fourth iteration of its ZeroGrand performance shoe.

Annie Kawasaki, senior product manager at the women’s and men’s performance running fitness and outdoors division at Cole Haan, told Retail Brew it is the most “comprehensive” collection of running footwear the retailer has created both in terms of price point (~$140–$210 a pair) and design.

Building blocks: When it came to design, comfort, and compatibility with the needs of the Cole Haan consumer was of utmost importance. “One thing that we noticed is that a run for [our consumers] is typically a daily maintenance run, something like what we’ve defined as a ‘lunchtime run’—something you can fit into a lunch hour: 30–45 minutes, three to five miles, at about an eight-minute pace,” Kawasaki told Retail Brew. “While other brands are creating footwear that are designed to the exact specification of championship athletes, we’re really creating for our true, everyday consumer who is just going on those daily maintenance runs.”

That meant lightweight shoes that are also comfy, with added details like foams that “offer a lot more rebound or response under foot,” but also ensuring the shoes are more or less sustainable, Kawasaki said.

Keep reading here.—JS

Today’s top retail reads.

Fashion backward: Luxury fashion in the US was riding a hot streak, but layoffs and department stores missing their earnings expectations are hinting at a forthcoming demand slump that could carry on the entire year. (Vogue Business)

Spill the tea: Yerba mate is a caffeinated tea that’s actually South America’s most popular beverage, and while the likes of Lionel Messi have put it on Americans’ radar, it still will be difficult to replace coffee as an alternative. (The Atlantic)

Eight’s a trend: This year, in many respects, will prove to be a challenging one for retailers, but there are considerations DTC players will have to make, including the value proposition of physical space and traditional retailers heating up the competition in the DTC world. (Retail Dive)

The holiday season is one of the most significant moments for retailers, bringing in nearly $800 billion annually.

But what happens after the holiday rush? Many businesses enter a so-called “post-holiday slump,” which can pose a serious financial challenge if they’re not prepared to combat it.

Don’t let that happen to you. Check out Retail Brew’s guide for quick tips on finding sales success in the new year.

The numbers you need to know.

Love is in the air. Shoppers across the United States are anticipated to spend $25.9 billion on Valentine’s Day this year, up from $23.9 billion in 2022, which was one of the highest spending years, according to the National Retail Federation.

Just over half (52%) are projected to celebrate the holiday and spend an average of $192.80, which is also up from the average 2022 spend of $175.41. Spending on significant others and family members is estimated to stay roughly the same, but $14 of the $17 increase in per-person spending is said to come from gifts for pets, friends, and co-workers.

Some of the most popular gifts include candy, greeting cards, flowers, a night out, jewelry, gift cards, and clothing. Americans are predicted to spend over $5.5 billion on jewelry and almost $4.4 billion on a night out.

“Men, in particular, are more likely to give a gift of experience compared with last year,” Phil Rist, EVP of strategy at Prosper Analytics, said in a statement. “Another notable finding is more than half of consumers say they will take advantage of sales and promotions as they celebrate Valentine’s Day this year.”—KM

Catch up on the Retail Brew stories you may have missed.

• What NRF participants are expecting in the coming months
• QR code platform Beaconstac raises $25 million
• KIND founder Daniel Lubetzky’s new investment platform