v3.25.2
BUSINESS ACQUISITIONS
6 Months Ended
Jun. 29, 2025
Business Combination [Abstract]  
BUSINESS ACQUISITIONS BUSINESS ACQUISITIONS
LesserEvil, LLC
On March 31, 2025, we entered into a Merger Agreement to acquire LesserEvil, LLC, a privately held company that produces and sells organic popcorn and puffed snack products to retailers and distributors in the United States and Canada, which complements Hershey’s existing product portfolio. The Merger Agreement contains customary conditions, including, among others, (i) the expiration or termination of the applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, (ii) the absence of any law or order prohibiting the consummation of the transactions contemplated in the Merger Agreement and (iii) the accuracy, to specified degrees, of representations and warranties set forth therein and material compliance with covenants. If approved, the Company expects the acquisition to close by the end of 2025 and will be financed with cash on hand and short-term borrowings.

Sour Strips
On November 8, 2024, we completed the acquisition of the Sour Strips brand from Actual Candy, LLC. Sour Strips is an emerging sour candy brand and is available in a wide range of food distribution channels in the United States. The initial cash consideration paid for Sour Strips was deemed immaterial and consisted of cash on hand and short-term borrowings; however, the Company may be required to pay additional contingent consideration if certain defined targets are met over a multi-year period. Acquisition-related costs for the Sour Strips acquisition were immaterial.
The acquisition has been accounted for as a business combination and, accordingly, Sour Strips has been included within the North America Confectionery segment from the date of acquisition. The purchase consideration, inclusive of the acquisition date fair value of the contingent consideration, was allocated to minimal net assets acquired, goodwill and other intangible assets. The purchase price allocation has been finalized as of the second quarter of 2025 and includes an immaterial amount of measurement period adjustments. The measurement period adjustments to the initial allocation were based on more detailed information obtained about the specific assets acquired and liabilities assumed, specifically, post-closing adjustments to the working capital acquired.
Goodwill was determined as the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net assets acquired (including the identifiable intangible assets). The goodwill derived from this acquisition is expected to be deductible for tax purposes and reflects the value of leveraging our brand building expertise, commercial capabilities and retail relationships to accelerate growth.
Other intangible assets include trademarks valued at $41,800 and customer relationships valued at $41,300. Trademarks were assigned an estimated useful life of 22 years and customer relationships were assigned estimated useful lives ranging from 14 to 16 years.