What Hickory Farms does

Hickory Farms is a 70+ year-old American specialty foods company founded in 1951 by Richard Ransom in Toledo, Ohio. The company curates and sells premium gourmet food gift baskets featuring cured meats (notably its American Masters of Taste Gold Medal-winning Signature Beef Summer Sausage, awarded annually since 2011), artisan cheese blends, mustards, condiments, crackers, nuts, and sweets. In 2021 it acquired Wicked Good Cupcakes, adding a Shark Tank-featured cupcake-in-a-jar brand to its portfolio and extending into dessert gifting. The company is headquartered in Chicago (relocated from Toledo in March 2017), operates a distribution warehouse in Joliet, IL, and has been owned by Modjule, LLC, a Chicago-based private investment firm, since 2015.

The business runs a multi-channel distribution model anchored by year-round direct-to-consumer e-commerce (hickoryfarms.com) with date-selectable nationwide delivery; approximately 700 seasonal mall and shopping center retail locations operating primarily during the holiday season; wholesale partnerships with mass merchants and supermarkets; catalog sales; and a dedicated B2B corporate gifting sales team. Products span entry-level items (e.g., Classic Beef Gift Box) to premium baskets (e.g., Grand Fruit & Wine Gift Basket at $175), with mid-tier multi-pack summer sausages and cheese blends priced $20-$55. Differentiators include free shipping to APO/FPO military addresses, scheduled delivery for gifting occasions, and a 17-year charitable partnership with No Kid Hungry (over 87 million meals provided since 2008).

Hickory Farms generates revenue through one-time transactional purchases (not subscriptions) across individual consumers seeking ready-to-give food gifts and corporate buyers seeking employee recognition and client gifts. It serves two primary segments: individual gift buyers across a wide range of personal occasions (holiday, birthday, sympathy, thank-you, housewarming, weddings, retirement, new baby, "just because") and corporate/B2B accounts seeking volume gifting solutions. Secondary segments include military families sending care packages overseas. The company's value proposition rests on brand heritage, award-winning product quality, curated ready-to-gift packaging, nationwide delivery, and a social-impact angle via its No Kid Hungry donations program.

Name

Hickory Farms

Legal name

Hickory Farms, LLC

Website

https://hickoryfarms.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Hickory Farms is an American specialty food company founded in 1951 that curates premium gourmet gift baskets featuring cured meats, artisan cheeses, and accompaniments, selling through e-commerce, ~700 seasonal retail locations, wholesale, and corporate gifting channels across the US.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Food Gift Baskets

NAICS

Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529), All Other Specialty Food Retailers (445298), Confectionery and Nut Retailers (445292)

SIC

Sausages & Other Prepared Meat Products (2013), Food And Kindred Products (2000), Retail-Miscellaneous Shopping Goods Stores (5940)

akta.pro primary industry

Gourmet & Fine Food Stores (CRAHAGAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty Food Gift Shops & Hampers (CRAHAGAN), Charcuterie & Cured Meats Specialty Stores (CRAHAGAE), Olive Oil, Vinegar & Condiment Specialty Stores (CRAHAGAJ)

Keywords

• Gourmet gift baskets
• Specialty cured meats
• Artisan cheese gifts
• Corporate gifting solutions
• Holiday food gifts

Headquarters

HQ city

Joliet

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct-to-Consumer E-commerce: Hickory Farms operates a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform (hickoryfarms.com) selling gourmet food gift baskets, charcuterie, meats, cheeses, condiments, and sweets year-round. Customers select products, choose delivery dates, and pay online. This is the primary revenue channel.
2. Retail Sales: Seasonal retail store locations (approximately 700 seasonal shopping locations) operate primarily during the holiday season in malls and shopping centers. Customers purchase in person at physical store locations.
3. Wholesale & Mass Merchant: Products are sold through leading mass merchants, supermarkets, and wholesale accounts, expanding reach beyond direct-to-consumer channels.
4. Catalog Sales: The company maintains a product catalog channel for consumer and corporate gifting orders.
5. Corporate Gifting: B2B sales of food gift baskets for corporate holiday gifts, employee recognition, and client appreciation. Dedicated corporate sales team handles custom orders and volume pricing.
6. Charitable Donations (No Kid Hungry): Hickory Farms donates $5 per Give Back Gift Box sold to No Kid Hungry, and offers optional customer add-on donations at checkout ($1, $3, $5, $10). This drives sales of the Give Back product line.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Hickory Farms curates, packages, and sells premium gourmet food gift assortments including signature cured meats (summer sausage, dry salami), specialty cheese blends, mustards, crackers, condiments, nuts, and wine or fruit pairings, sold as ready-to-give gift boxes and baskets. Its offering spans consumer gifting for personal occasions, corporate gifting via a dedicated B2B sales team, and military care packages with free APO/FPO shipping, distributed through year-round e-commerce, approximately 700 seasonal mall retail stores, wholesale, and catalog channels.

Product overview

Hickory Farms operates as a multi-channel specialty food gift retailer offering curated gourmet food gift products. The core product portfolio centers on gift baskets and gift boxes featuring specialty cured meats (summer sausages, dry salami) and artisan cheeses (cheddar blends, smoked gouda, jalapeño cheddar), complemented by condiments (mustards, bacon jam), crackers, and nuts. The company also offers acquired brand Wicked Good Cupcakes (cupcake-in-a-jar, acquired 2021), wine gift baskets, corporate gifting solutions, and military care packages. A philanthropic component includes No Kid Hungry donation products. The company maintains both e-commerce and physical retail store channels, with nationwide delivery and free APO/FPO shipping for military customers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Wicked Good Cupcakes: Original cupcake-in-a-jar brand featuring gourmet cupcakes in mason jars, acquired by Hickory Farms in 2021

Products and services

• Gift Baskets Flagship curated collections of gourmet foods (meats, cheeses, crackers, condiments) designed for personal and corporate gifting occasions year-round.
• Signature Flavors Gift Basket Curated meat and cheese gift featuring Signature Beef and Farmhouse Summer Sausages, Smoked Cheddar Blend, Three Cheese & Onion Blend, Sharp Cheddar Blend, Sweet Hot and Honey Pineapple Mustards, and crackers.
• Grand Fruit & Wine Gift Basket Luxury gift basket with fresh seasonal pears and apples, beef summer sausages, dry salami, Farmhouse Cheddar, Smoked Gouda Blend, Mission Jack Blend, mustards, fig chutney, flatbread, sweet treats, and a bottle of California Chardonnay.
• Give Back Gift Box Signature gift box containing Signature Beef Summer Sausage, multiple cheese blends (Smoked Gouda, Sharp Cheddar, Smoked Cheddar, Jalapeño Cheddar), mustards (Honey Pineapple, Sweet Hot), and nut mixes, with a $5 donation to No Kid Hungry per purchase.
• Summer Sausage & Cheese Gift Box Popular gift box containing Signature Beef Summer Sausage, Smoked Gouda Blend, Sharp Cheddar Blend, and Smoked Cheddar Blend.
• Classic Beef Gift Box Entry-level gift box featuring Signature Beef Summer Sausages, Smoked Cheddar Blend, Sharp Cheddar Blend, Sweet Hot Mustard, Belgian Ale Mustard, and Golden Toasted Crackers.
• Hot & Spicy Gift Box Spicy gift box featuring Spicy Beef Summer Sausage, Jalapeño Cheddar Blend, Sharp Cheddar Blend, Sweet Hot Mustard, Spicy Sriracha Mustard, and Golden Toasted Crackers.
• Signature Beef Summer Sausage Award-winning beef summer sausage made with 100% premium North American beef, hickory smoke, mustard seed, and black pepper; available in 2-pack, 4-pack, and 6-pack sizes; gluten-free.
• Three Pepper Dry Salami Dry salami made with spicy white pepper, cayenne, and crushed red peppers, cured by a master salumiere for full-bodied flavor; available in 2-pack.
• Sweet & Smoky Turkey Summer Sausage Turkey-based summer sausage with sweet and smoky flavor profile, gluten-free; available in multiple pack sizes.
• Smoked Cheddar Blend Aged cheddar mellowed by tangy Swiss cheese with subtle smokiness from hickory hardwood; available in 2-pack, 4-pack, and 6-pack sizes.
• Jalapeño Cheddar Blend Cheddar cheese blended with jalapeño peppers for a spicy kick; available in 2-pack, 4-pack, and 6-pack sizes.
• Sweet Hot Mustard 3-Pack One of Hickory Farms' original signature flavors, made to complement savory summer sausage and creamy cheeses; 10 oz jars in a 3-pack.
• Hot Pepper Bacon Jam Sweet and spicy condiment made with roasted red pepper puree, jalapeño peppers, and real smoky bacon; available in 2-pack and 4-pack sizes.
• Savory Sauces Flight Condiment flight featuring spicy Horseradish Sauce, bold Chipotle Ranch Sauce, and tangy Sweet & Sour Sauce bundled together.
• Cracker Flight Assortment of crackers including Golden Toasted Crackers, Olive Oil & Rosemary Crackers, and Garlic & Herb Flatbread.
• Signature Mustard Flight Sampler of three signature mustards: Sweet Hot Mustard, Honey Pineapple Mustard, and Cranberry Mustard.
• Military Gifts Specialized gift boxes and care packages designed for U.S. military personnel overseas, with free shipping to APO, DPO, and FPO addresses; includes classics like summer sausage and cheese combinations.
• Corporate Gifts B2B gifting solutions for businesses, including Corporate Holiday Gifts and Corporate Gift Baskets, with a dedicated sales team supporting volume and custom orders via [email protected].
• Wicked Good Cupcakes Online gourmet cupcake brand acquired by Hickory Farms in 2021, featuring the original cupcake-in-a-jar concept with flavors including Vanilla Sprinkle, S'more, Red Velvet, and Cookies & Cream.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 87 million meals provided to children through No Kid Hungry partnership since 2008
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Wicked Good CupcakescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 June 2021Hickory Farms acquired Wicked Good Cupcakes in June 2021. Founded in Massachusetts in 2010 and featured on Shark Tank in 2013, Wicked Good Cupcakes is known for its original cupcake-in-a-jar and gained significant popularity after its Shark Tank appearance. The acquisition brought the brand into the Hickory Farms family of gourmet food gifts, expanding Hickory Farms' sweet treats and dessert gifting offerings.
• Vana Specialty PackagingcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2010Vana Specialty Packaging has maintained its partnership with Hickory Farms since 2010, providing specialty packaging solutions for the gourmet food brand's product line. The collaboration involves packaging design, manufacturing, and logistics coordination, with Vana utilizing its network of over 40 global factories to support Hickory Farms' distribution needs. The partnership exemplifies a long-term supplier relationship with ongoing adjustments to materials and designs based on operational insights.
• No Kid Hungry (Share Our Strength)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Since 2008, Hickory Farms has partnered with No Kid Hungry to support their mission to end childhood hunger in America. Hickory Farms contributes through customer add-on donations at checkout ($1, $3, $5, $10) and the Give Back Gift Box program where $5 per box sold is donated, up to $300,000 combined annually (4/1/2024–3/31/2025). To date, Hickory Farms has helped No Kid Hungry provide over 87 million meals and raised over $3.3 million.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Direct peers

• Harry & David: Harry & David is the #1 player in the U.S. gourmet gift basket industry (27% share per GlobalGrowthInsights 2025) and Hickory Farms' closest direct competitor. Both brands compete head-to-head in meat-and-cheese gift baskets, fruit-and-gourmet baskets, and corporate gifting, with overlapping seasonal and year-round positioning.
• Omaha Steaks: Omaha Steaks is a direct peer in premium meat-based gourmet gifting, offering steak, seafood, and meat-and-cheese gift assortments for holidays, corporate gifting, and direct-to-consumer occasions. Its product mix, gifting occasions, and customer base substantially overlap with Hickory Farms' meat-and-cheese gift baskets.
• Wine Country Gift Baskets: Wine Country Gift Baskets is a direct competitor in curated gourmet gift baskets featuring meats, cheeses, wine, and sweets. It targets the same individual consumer and corporate gifting occasions with a comparable multi-channel e-commerce model.
• Edible Arrangements: Edible Arrangements is a direct competitor in the food gifting category, specializing in fruit-based arrangements and edible gifts for personal and corporate occasions. It competes for the same gifting occasions and customer occasions (birthdays, sympathy, corporate gifting) as Hickory Farms.
• Cheryl's Cookies: Cheryl's Cookies (owned by 1-800-Flowers.com) is a direct peer in the curated sweet gift category, offering cookies, brownies, and dessert gifts for personal and corporate occasions. It is owned by Hickory Farms' largest competitor's parent and competes for similar gift occasions.
• The Popcorn Factory: The Popcorn Factory (also under 1-800-Flowers.com) competes in the gourmet snack and confectionery gift category. It targets the same gifting occasions and holiday/seasonal purchase windows as Hickory Farms' sweets and snacks lines.
• Mrs. Fields: Mrs. Fields is a direct peer in the gourmet sweet treats and gift category, offering cookies, brownies, and dessert gifts through e-commerce and retail. It competes with Hickory Farms' sweet-treats offerings for personal and corporate gifting occasions.

Broad incumbents

• 1-800-Flowers.com: 1-800-Flowers.com is a publicly traded gifting conglomerate (also owning Harry & David) offering flowers, gift baskets, and gourmet food gifts across multiple brands. It competes directly with Hickory Farms in the gourmet gift basket and corporate gifting categories while operating a much broader multi-brand portfolio.
• FTD: FTD (now part of the 1-800-Flowers.com family) is a broad incumbent in the gifting industry, offering flowers, plants, and gourmet gift baskets. It overlaps with Hickory Farms in the gourmet food gift basket and corporate gifting segments through shared parent ownership.

Emerging players

• Goldbelly: Goldbelly is an emerging digitally-native curated food marketplace featuring artisanal meats, cheeses, and regional specialties shipped nationwide. It competes with Hickory Farms in premium curated meat-and-cheese gifting but offers a much broader catalog of artisan food producers and a more modern digital experience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hickoryfarms
• Facebookfacebook.com/hickoryfarms
• Instagraminstagram.com/hickoryfarms
• Pinterestpinterest.com/hickoryfarms
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hickory-farms

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hickory Farms