How German candy giant Haribo tripled its US sales in a decade

While international sweets like Swedish skulls and British Squashies have had seemingly overnight success in the US, one 100-year-old candy aisle staple has taken its sweet time establishing stateside growth.

Haribo, the candy giant best known for its Goldbears gummy bears, was founded in Germany in 1920 and debuted in the US in 1982. But its popularity in the US has only grown within the last decade or so, Rick LaBerge, chief commercial officer at Haribo of America, told Retail Brew.

That growth has come not from a flash-in-the-pan viral moment, but efforts like portfolio expansion, a stateside manufacturing facility, the debut of its first US retail stores, and even a float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

LaBerge, a CPG veteran who spent over two decades at Johnson & Johnson and Mars before joining Haribo in 2015, said the efforts have ultimately helped Haribo “embed ourselves into the rituals of the American consumer,” pushing its household penetration to 41% and more than tripling US retail sales from $188 million to $600 million since 2016.

Beyond the bear: Twelve years ago, Goldbears were one of the only product lines Haribo sold widely in the US. Now, it has almost 20, along with seasonal products tapping into American demand for limited-time treats around Valentine’s Day, Easter, Halloween, and Christmas. Leaning into seasonality has offered a notable sampling opportunity, too, with its new 120-count Halloween mini bags at Costco featuring its classic Goldbears as well as its new Sour Sodas.

Haribo’s international footprint gives the company a leg-up in terms of innovation, allowing different locales to “steal with pride” from one another, LaBerge said. Its latest launch, Balla Bites, a “multisensory experience” that aligns with younger generations’ interest in unique candy textures, originated in Germany. Conversely, Twin Snakes, the sweet-and-sour snake-shaped gummies, originated in the US and have since found success abroad.

As it grows its portfolio and distribution, Haribo of America opened its first US-based manufacturing facility in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, in 2023, becoming the company’s 16th factory and contributing to the decentralized production strategy that’s helped it grow. Since products were previously imported from Germany, Spain, and Turkey, the Wisconsin manufacturing facility helps keep prices low. (Its prices are notably below competitors like Ferrara’s Trolli and Nerds Gummy Clusters, and Mondelez’s Swedish Fish.)

“We want to exceed on quality, and we want to be a good value for your money,” he said.

Sweet spot: This summer, the candy maker opened its first two US retail stores at Woodbury Common Premium Outlets in New York and Wrentham Village Premium Outlets in Massachusetts, an effort supported by first US president and CEO Jon Hughes, who joined from Haribo’s UK and Ireland division in February.

In addition to its US product lines, the outlet store sells 20 packaged Haribo varieties from around the world as well as pick-and-mix format, which has exploded in popularity in recent years.

“It allows us to really bring the brand to life, which you don’t always have that luxury in a small aisle in a Walmart or in a convenience store, where we’re happy to have six items on the shelf,” LaBerge said. Its top-selling item, a mystery box offering both brand merchandise and candy, has given the company inspiration for similar products to offer through its retail partners, he said.

The new, experiential stores have been part of a push to evolve its marketing strategy, which has also expanded beyond linear TV to digital-focused campaigns.

Candy crush: Still, the company has an increasingly large set to compete with. In the last month, Sprouts Farmers Market partnered with Swedish candy brand Sockerbit to pilot a pick-and-mix section, while Target grew its international gummy assortments with no-sugar-added Australian brand Funday and German brand Katjes, with a product co-created with influencer Jake Shane.

The “pace of innovation is probably at its all-time high right now,” in the category, LaBerge said. But Haribo is staying “true to our values” around “childlike happiness” that’s been core to the company’s ethos for nearly a century. (Its slogan—”Kids and grown-ups love it so…the happy word of Haribo”—printed on packaging and sung at the end of its commercials, is an iteration of the German slogan that’s been in use since the 1960s).

“We don’t want to be something that we’re not,” he said. “We don’t want to take something and copycat it. We choose our own destiny.”