Leftovers is our look at a few of the product ideas popping up everywhere. Some are intriguing, some sound amazing and some are the kinds of ideas we would never dream of. We can’t write about everything that we get pitched, so here are some leftovers pulled from our inboxes.
Nerds Gummy Clusters unveils a juicy innovation
Ferrara's blockbuster Nerds Gummy Clusters are getting juicier.
Nerds Juicy Gummy Clusters is the first innovation for the popular candy since it was released in 2020. The product, which is double the size of a normal gummy cluster, contains a juicy center at its core. It will soon roll out to national retailers.
Nerds Gummy Clusters became an unexpected sleeper hit after it was acquired by Ferrara in 2018. The brand is on track to hit more than $900 million in sales this year by appealing to consumer demand for multisensory and textural experiences.
Katie Duffy, vice president of global brands with Ferrara, previously told Food Dive that Juicy Gummy Clusters are meant to "continue to build momentum that Nerds has already established" and provide consumers with a "different eating experience."
Other brands have looked to offer contrasting textures through a juicy core. Welch’s fruit snacks in July launched Juicefuls Fusions, a gummy with a bursting juice center.
Alongside the release of Nerds Juicy Gummy Clusters, Ferrara is also launching two limited-time flavors of the cluster candy to coincide with football season. The company is introducing a new Cherry Lemonade Blitz flavor and reviving Berry Punch Rush. They are set to hit retailers in October.
– Sarah Zimmerman
Hershey’s Kit Kat Counts a spooky new shape
Confectionery giant Hershey is counting on a new shape to scare consumers this Halloween.
The Pennsylvania-based company is selling vampire-shaped Kit Kat Counts this season. The spooky limited-time offering contains a single chocolate-covered wafer that is roughly double the size of one in a mini KitKat.
The wafer is the same size as one found in Kit Kat Santa, the first seasonal shape of the beloved bar launched last Christmas.
“It was technically very challenging” getting a single wafer into the Kit Kat and still maintaining the recognizable shape of a Count, Shawn Houser-Fedor, Hershey’s senior director of research and development, told reporters. “We found that getting a wafer in a shape, and in this case, a Count, was something that we thought consumers would love.”
Kit-Kat joins Reese’s and Hershey’s as the company's most popular chocolate brands during Halloween, according to Katie DeCapria, senior manager of Halloween at Hershey.
While Kit Kat has introduced different flavor variations of the chocolate wafer bar, the shapes have been a notable change. DeCapria said Hershey’s sweets portfolio is particularly well-suited for various experiences and shapes due to its ability to embrace unique textures and flavor experiences.
Hershey has used a similar shape strategy with its multi-billion-dollar Reese’s brand. The chocolate-covered peanut butter cup introduced its first unique shape with Reese’s Christmas tree in 1991. Since then, it has introduced everything from trees and hearts to pumpkins, ghosts and even ugly sweaters.
– Christopher Doering
Sierra Nevada launches smaller, ‘proper pilsner’ beer can
Sierra Nevada Brewing is debuting a beer in “proper pilsner cans,” or rather, an 8.4-ounce serving.
The European-style pilsner-lager, dubbed Pils, launched in August in eight-packs and select locations on draft. A nationwide rollout for the product is planned for early 2026.
The smaller 8.4-ounce serving size, as opposed to a traditional 12-ounce can, helps the beer maintain its ideal temperature and flavor, and is inspired by how the drink is “meant to be enjoyed” at a European pub, said Brian Grossman, chief brewer of Sierra Nevada.
The beer has citrusy and floral flavors, and a touch of malt, according to the company. It contains a 4.7% alcohol-by-volume ratio.
The smaller can size could also appeal to consumers who are opting for more moderation when they consume alcohol. At the same time, some bars and restaurants are shrinking their portions in a bid to attract GLP-1 medication users.
– Laurel Deppen
