Low sugar chocolate brand Lily’s has had a pretty sweet year, expanding distribution, launching new products and landing a deal that set the industry a buzz.
Founded by Cynthia Tice, Lily’s received an investment from firm VMG and brought on Jane Miller as CEO in order to develop scale -- and scale they did. Not only did Lily’s add thousands of points of distribution, but the formerly chocolate bar-focused brand evolved into a baking and snacking platform.
All of these efforts not only led to this year’s acquisition of the brand by The Hershey Company but seems to have inspired the global company to push further into low and no sugar options, launching natural takes of its flagship brands. The partnership, in turn, has also helped Lily’s push into new segments -- crossing over to sugar confection with the debut of gummies this year.
Perhaps Lily’s greatest accomplishment is the impact it had on the category at large. Lily’s products were part of the first wave of natural offerings to help revitalize the confection and chocolate categories. Once a stagnant section of the store, the aisle has seen a rush of new products enter the market as retail buyers see increased customer attention. The brand has also inspired more brands -- both big and small -- to examine launching their own low sugar products, bringing healthier options to the set, and to the consumer.
