Ferrero progress and innovation: abstract
- Ferrero stories €19.3bn gross sales pushed by acquisitions and manufacturing facility investments
- Nutella Plant-Based mostly launches throughout Europe leveraging vegan tendencies and accreditation
- Ferrero expands into ice cream sweet bars utilizing Wells collaboration
- Sugar-free Tic Tac Two debuts globally with bigger dual-flavour items
- Energy Crunch acquisition strengthens Ferrero’s protein technique and more healthy snacking ambitions
Italian confectioner Ferrero Group is celebrating one other 12 months of regular progress, reporting €19.3bn in gross sales for the 12 months ending 31 August 2025 – a 4.6% enhance on the earlier 12 months.
And it’s been a busy interval. The headline second was the main acquisition of WK Kellogg Co’s cereal enterprise, which closed shortly after the top of the monetary 12 months. The corporate additionally made a number of huge strategic strikes: increasing its Canadian plant to provide Nutella Biscuits domestically, opening a brand new Kinder Bueno manufacturing facility within the US, and investing in upgrades on the world’s largest Nutella manufacturing facility in France.
Manufacturing facility investments, acquisitions, and entry into new markets have all underpinned Ferrero’s progress. However product innovation stays central to its technique, with 5 notable launches and developments serving to drive momentum. Right here they’re:
Plant-based Nutella
In FY24/25, Ferrero made headlines with the enlargement of its most iconic model: Nutella.
A brand new variant, Nutella Plant Based mostly, is totally free from dairy – as its identify suggests. As a substitute of milk powder, the brand new product incorporates plant-based substances like chickpeas and rice syrup, however Ferrero says it delivers the identical “unmistakable Nutella expertise”.
It hit cabinets in Nutella’s sixtieth 12 months with applause from teams just like the Vegetarian Society – assembly its “strict standards” for vegan accreditation.
Nutella Plant Based mostly is being progressively rolled out throughout key European markets, together with member states, the UK, and chosen markets in Central and Jap Europe.
Turning sweet into ice cream
When Ferrero group acquired Wells Enterprises in 2022, it added a various vary of ice cream manufacturers to its portfolio, together with Blue Bunny, Blue Ribbon Classics, Bomb Pop and Halo Prime.
Quick ahead to 2025, and Ferrero North America labored intently with Wells to collaborate on a line of ice cream bars based mostly on pre-existing iconic sweet bars Butterfinger, Child Ruth, and 100 Grand.
The transfer was knowledgeable by client insights, which counsel sweet patrons are considerably extra seemingly to purchase ice cream sweet bars. “These new ice cream sweet bars are the right possibility for sweet and ice cream lovers alike,” mentioned Isabella Chia, chief advertising officer at Wells, on the time.
Tic Tac, however sugar-free
The first ingredient in Ferrero’s Tic Tac is sugar. So it’s huge information that the worldwide confectionery big has developed a line of Tic Tac merchandise which are fully sugar-free.
Quite than stick with the basic format, Ferrero selected to launch its sugar-free choices in a dual-flavour vary. Every sugar-free Tic Tac “tablet” can also be twice as huge because the basic candy.
Ferrero has developed three flavour mixtures: raspberry & lemon, recent & delicate spearmint, and strawberry & lime. The merchandise are being progressively rolled out throughout main European markets together with the EU, in addition to Central and European nations.
“Tic Tac Two” can also be being launched in some worldwide markets, reminiscent of Australia, Brazil and Eire, in addition to throughout world journey retail areas in Europe, the Center East, Asia, and the Americas.
A transfer into high-protein snacks
Protein is all the fad, with seemingly each class getting a high-protein glow-up – from cereal to sodas, ice cream to crisps. It’s comprehensible that confectionery main Ferrero additionally needs a bit of the high-protein pie.
The transfer into high-protein snacks comes within the type of an acquisition. One 12 months in the past, Ferrero purchased the Energy Crunch model within the US from Bio-Dietary Analysis Group. The enterprise sells wafer bars in addition to high-protein crisps, and in line with Ferrero has seen “sturdy progress” lately.
The acquisition helps Ferrero’s new technique to drive more healthy snack gross sales across the globe. “We look ahead to making use of the identical formulation to the better-for-you class, beginning with the distinctive merchandise produced by the distinctive Energy Crunch crew,” mentioned Michael Lindsey, president and chief enterprise officer of Ferrero North America on the time.
Frozen bakery foray for Nutella
For many of its 60-year historical past, Nutella branding has been used nearly completely for the famed chocolate hazelnut unfold. However the model made its foray into bakery and biscuits in 2019, and final monetary 12 months expanded into frozen bakery.
The Nutella Donut is a major instance. The product is baked, stuffed with Nutella after which frozen for foodservice or retail. It’s designed to be thawed and served in two hours. Different merchandise in Nutella’s frozen bakery vary embrace muffins, croissants and crepes.
The frozen bakery vary is being launched progressively throughout chosen European markets.
What’s subsequent in Ferrero’s innovation pipeline?
And right here’s the place we take pleasure in slightly crystal‑ball gazing. Ferrero was tight‑lipped about what future improvements buyers can anticipate to see on cabinets, however that gained’t cease us from projecting.
Let’s begin with Ferrero’s most well-known model: Nutella. Lower than two years after its plant‑based mostly debut, client curiosity in vegan merchandise is already fading. A number of forces are at play: a troublesome financial local weather that makes premium plant‑based mostly options a tougher promote, and rising concern about extremely‑processed meals that’s pushing buyers towards merchandise perceived as extra “pure.”
With out strong knowledge on how Nutella Plant Based mostly is performing, we’re left questioning its future. Of all Ferrero’s latest launches, we suspect this one may very well be first on the chopping block.
Now for the strongest contender. We have now excessive hopes for Ferrero’s Energy Crunch model within the US, getting into the group at a time when meals and beverage goes actually protein‑loopy. It additionally faucets into a quick‑rising pattern the place the boundaries between confectionery and sports activities vitamin proceed to blur. Energy Crunch appears like an influence transfer from Ferrero.
And we shouldn’t overlook the $3bn acquisition of WK Kellogg’s cereal portfolio. In keeping with Sam Fryers, analysis analyst at Mintel, cereal manufacturers have three clear pathways to reignite progress: lean tougher into well being claims on‑pack, innovate with new flavours, or reformulate for broader enchantment. Ferrero now has the toolbox – will it use it?
By this time subsequent 12 months, we’ll have a a lot clearer image of how Ferrero has chosen to innovate for progress. Will extra protein, much less plant‑based mostly, and bolder cereal flavours be the profitable trio on cabinets? We’ll be watching intently.
