• Los Angeles Times/Reuters, Tuesday, February 19, 2008 10:45 AM

Bliss, Hershey's new premium chocolate candy, will be more closely watched next month than most product launches, as investors look for signs that the largest U.S. chocolate maker can recapture market share lost to rivals such as Mars. Hershey's management has acknowledged that it lacks the products to take advantage of demand for premium and dark chocolates.

Missing out on growth in those segments was a key factor depressing Hershey sales and earnings last year, eventually leading to a sweeping overhaul of the board of directors. Hershey is counting on Bliss and a new line of chocolates it is developing with Starbucks to help it gain ground in the premium segment.

Bliss, a piece of chocolate with a rounded top that fits in the roof of the mouth, will be priced at $3 to $3.99 for a 36-piece bag. The candy will come in dark chocolate, milk chocolate and milk chocolate with a melt-away center.

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