Hershey taps into gummy, ‘swicy’ trends with new Jolly Rancher

Food Dive reported the development on 2026-02-04. The 77-year-old hard candy brand has rapidly grown sales by expanding into new categories such as gummies, ropes and freeze-dried.

The report places the news in a wider commercial context. Hershey’s Jolly Rancher brand is turning up the heat with Jolly Rancher Heat Wave Gummies, allowing the fast-growing candy brand to tap into the gummy and “swicy” trends popular with younger consumers. The Jolly Rancher Heat Wave lineup includes five flavors — mango, pineapple, watermelon, lime and Citrus Punch — each coated in a chili-inspired finish.

For the food sector, the practical implications extend beyond the immediate announcement. The 77-year-old Jolly Rancher brand, best known for hard candies, has seen sales soar after Hershey brought the colorful candies into new categories, such as gummies, ropes and freeze-dried. Jolly Rancher sales alone totaled $400 million in 2024, up 25% from the prior year, according to Hershey.

Attention now turns to how companies, customers and regulators respond. The Heat Wave Gummies enable Hershey to not only expand the reach of the Jolly Rancher brand, but also better resonate with consumers who are seeking out gummies and flavors that merge sweet and spicy. Gummies have proven attractive to a wide variety of ages, particularly nostalgic millennials who grew up with gummy worms or bears as kids.