Asher's Chocolates
Asher's Chocolate Co. is a 130+ year-old, family-owned premium chocolate confectioner producing chocolate-covered pretzels, caramels, nonpareils, and one of the largest US sugar-free chocolate lines from Souderton, Pennsylvania. It serves individual consumers, corporate gifting clients, and major US grocery chains including Kroger, Wegmans, and Giant.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1892
- HeadquartersSouderton, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Asher's Chocolates does
Asher's Chocolate Co. is a 130+ year-old, family-owned premium chocolate confectioner headquartered in a 125,000 sq. ft. facility in Souderton, Pennsylvania, with additional manufacturing in Lewistown, PA (Goss Candy Co., acquired 1991). Founded in 1892 by Chester A. Asher near Independence Hall in Philadelphia and now led by the fourth and fifth generations of the Asher family, the company produces artisan chocolate-covered pretzels, caramels, nonpareils, fudge, handpacked boxes, gift baskets, and one of the largest sugar-free chocolate lines in the country (Maltitol-based). Products use cocoa butter rather than compound chocolate, feature a thick chocolate-coating technique for inclusion crispness, and carry OU-D Kosher certification (2003), SQF certification (2022), and Landfill-Free certification (2011).
The company's product portfolio is organized by chocolate type (Milk ~34% cocoa mass, Dark ~47.2%, White, Sugar Free, Gluten Friendly, Kosher Certified) and by product line (Coffee Bags, Caddy Boxes, Cello Bags, Caramel Boxes, Handpacked Boxes, Pretzel Pails, FreshPacks, Snack Boxes, Chocolate Bars, Assorted Boxes, Grab-a-Gift Boxes), complemented by gift-tier categories (Samplers, Gift Baskets $54.95–$159.95, Gift Boxes & Towers, Corporate Gifts). A 2025 America 250 Limited Edition Collection (Liberty Bell, Mini Pretzels, Nonpareils, $3.45–$8.45) targets the US semiquincentennial demand wave.
Asher's operates a three-channel go-to-market: (1) direct-to-consumer e-commerce on ashers.com with unit-priced SKUs across coffee bags through premium gift baskets; (2) a dedicated Corporate Ordering Program (catalog, order form, digital invoicing, direct-to-recipient shipping, named accounts include NetCarrier Telecom and ICRW); and (3) retail distribution through major grocery and department-store chains (Giant, Wegmans, Kroger, Boscov's, Mariano's, Weis, Acme) across most US states. Marketing is multi-channel — Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, YouTube (TV appearances on PHL17, NBC10, 6ABC, FOX29, CBS3), a content blog, and a corporate gifting catalog. Distribution into adjacent experiential categories was opened in 2023–2024 via a Conshohocken Brewing Company beer-garden collaboration and a limited-edition Chocolate Peanut Butter Ale. Pricing is uniformly one-time/unit-based with no disclosed subscription or recurring revenue line.
Asher's Chocolates firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Asher's Chocolates
- Legal name
- Asher's Chocolate Co.
- Website
- https://ashers.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1892
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Asher's Chocolate Co. is a 130+ year-old, family-owned premium chocolate confectioner producing chocolate-covered pretzels, caramels, nonpareils, and one of the largest US sugar-free chocolate lines from Souderton, Pennsylvania. It serves individual consumers, corporate gifting clients, and major US grocery chains including Kroger, Wegmans, and Giant.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Asher's Chocolates industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Premium Chocolate Confections
- NAICS
- Chocolate and Confectionery Manufacturing (31135), Nonchocolate Confectionery Manufacturing (31134), Confectionery and Nut Retailers (445292)
- SIC
- Sugar & Confectionery Products (2060), Food And Kindred Products (2000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Confectionery Manufacturing (Chocolate, Candy, Gum) (AFAKAAAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Chocolate & Chocolate Confectionery (CRADABAA), Chocolate & Candy Snacks Manufacturing (AFAKAIAM), Online Bakery & Desserts Delivery (CRAHAIAK)
Keywords
Where Asher's Chocolates is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Souderton
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Asher's Chocolates business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Direct Consumer E-commerce: Products sold directly to consumers through Asher's website with standard retail pricing. Includes coffee bags, caddy boxes, cello bags, freshpacks, handpacked boxes, gift baskets, and assorted boxes. One-time purchase model with per-unit pricing.
- Corporate Gifting: B2B corporate chocolate gift program where businesses order in bulk for employee recognition, client appreciation, and holiday gifting. Features customizable options including seasonal packaging and branded labels. Ships to multiple addresses.
- Retail Distribution: Products distributed through major retail chains including Giant, Wegmans, Boscov's, Kroger, Mariano's, Weis Markets, Acme, and specialty retailers. Products sold as pre-packaged confections at standard retail price points.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual Products - Coffee Bags and Small Items |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Gift Boxes and Caddy Boxes |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Premium Gift Baskets and Samplers |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Bulk and Specialty Items |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels9 records
Marketing channels7 records
Asher's Chocolates product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Asher's Chocolate Co. manufactures and sells premium chocolate confections, including chocolate-covered pretzels, caramels, nonpareils, fudge, marshmallows, almond bark, cordials, and buttercream, made with cocoa butter rather than compound chocolate. Products are sold across consumer chocolate types (milk, dark, white, sugar-free, gluten-friendly, kosher) and product lines (coffee bags, caddy boxes, cello bags, handpacked boxes, pretzel pails, freshpacks, gift baskets, samplers, and corporate gifts), distributed via direct e-commerce, a corporate ordering program, and major US grocery and retail chains.
Product overview
Asher's Chocolate Co. offers a diverse portfolio of chocolate confections organized into chocolate types (Milk, Dark, White, Sugar Free, Gluten Friendly, Kosher) and product lines (Coffee Bags, Caddy Boxes, Cello Bags, Caramel Boxes, Handpacked Boxes, Pretzel Pails, FreshPacks, Snack Boxes, Chocolate Bars, Assorted Boxes, Grab-a-Gift Boxes). The company also provides gift-focused offerings including Samplers, Gift Baskets, Gift Boxes & Towers, and Corporate Gifts through a dedicated corporate ordering program. Founded in 1892, the family-owned company operates as a traditional confectionery with no technology platform components.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Milk Chocolate Confections
Quantifiable outcome
- Sales grew 22-fold over 15 years at Souderton location
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Asher's Chocolates
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Asher's Chocolates technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Asher's Chocolates partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Conshohocken Brewing CompanycoreAsher's Chocolate Co. and Conshohocken Brewing Company opened a beer garden collaboration featuring Asher's chocolates. They also launched a limited-edition Chocolate Peanut Butter Ale in September 2023. The partnership combines craft beer with chocolate confections for unique tasting experiences.
- Giant supermarketscoreRegional grocery chain carrying Asher's chocolate products in stores throughout Pennsylvania and Mid-Atlantic region.
- WegmanscorePremium regional grocery chain with Asher's products available in stores throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.
- KrogercoreMajor national grocery chain providing widespread retail distribution for Asher's products across the United States.
- Boscov'sminorRegional department store chain in Mid-Atlantic carrying Asher's confections.
- Mariano'sminorMidwestern grocery chain (Kroger subsidiary) distributing Asher's products in the Chicago area.
- Weis MarketsminorRegional grocery chain in Pennsylvania and surrounding states carrying Asher's products.
- Acme MarketsminorNortheast grocery chain (Albertsons-owned) distributing Asher's confections.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Asher's Chocolates competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Godiva Chocolates: Premium global chocolate brand with retail boutiques, gifting assortments, and broad distribution. Highly comparable premium gifting positioning but with far broader international footprint and brand spend.
- The Hershey Company: Largest US chocolate manufacturer with massive marketing budgets, extensive retail distribution, and a premium/Special Dark portfolio. Competes with Asher's at retail but at vastly greater scale across multiple brands and price tiers.
- Mars Wrigley (Mars, Inc.): Global confectionery giant with Dove, M&M's, and seasonal boxed-chocolate brands. A dominant retailer-relationship incumbent against which Asher's must compete for shelf space and gifting-season visibility.
- Lindt & Sprüngli: Swiss premium-chocolate manufacturer with US presence (Lindt Excellence, Lindor, holiday tins). Comparable premium-tier positioning, gifting assortment, and retail-channel strategy to Asher's but at global scale.
Direct peers
- See's Candies: Family-founded (1921) US premium boxed-chocolate manufacturer, now owned by Berkshire Hathaway. Highly comparable to Asher's given shared heritage positioning, boxed-chocolate assortment, and dedication to traditional chocolate-making techniques with pure cocoa butter.
- Russell Stover Chocolates: Long-running US boxed-chocolate manufacturer (founded 1923) selling assortments, sugar-free, and seasonal confections across mass retail and DTC. Directly comparable assortment architecture, retail distribution strategy, and sugar-free product line to Asher's.
- Ghirardelli Chocolate Company: Premium US chocolate manufacturer (founded 1852) with broad retail distribution, gift assortments, and a flagship chocolate-squares line. Comparable premium positioning, retail presence, and emphasis on cocoa-butter-based chocolate rather than compound coatings.
- Gertrude Hawk Chocolates: Family-owned Pennsylvania-based regional chocolate manufacturer (founded 1960) with retail storefronts, boxed assortments, and bulk confections. Closely comparable to Asher's given Pennsylvania roots, family ownership, and similar product mix.
- Whitman's Chocolates: Heritage US boxed-chocolate brand (founded 1842) with mass-retail distribution and seasonal sales emphasis. Comparable product mix, retail-channel strategy, and heritage positioning to Asher's boxed assortment business.
Regional players
- Pennsylvania Dutch Candies: Mid-Atlantic regional confectionery manufacturer with similar heritage branding, retail distribution in Pennsylvania, and assortment of chocolate-covered pretzels and boxed chocolates. Comparable as a regional competitor for both retail listings and Mid-Atlantic brand loyalty.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Asher's Chocolates social profiles
Digital presenceAsher's Chocolates compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Asher's Chocolates financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Asher's Chocolates leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Asher's Chocolates subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Asher's Chocolates funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Asher's Chocolates M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Asher's Chocolates
What does Asher's Chocolates do?
Asher's Chocolate Co. manufactures and sells premium chocolate confections, including chocolate-covered pretzels, caramels, nonpareils, fudge, marshmallows, almond bark, cordials, and buttercream, made with cocoa butter rather than compound chocolate. Products are sold across consumer chocolate types (milk, dark, white, sugar-free, gluten-friendly, kosher) and product lines (coffee bags, caddy boxes, cello bags, handpacked boxes, pretzel pails, freshpacks, gift baskets, samplers, and corporate gifts), distributed via direct e-commerce, a corporate ordering program, and major US grocery and retail chains.
Is Asher's Chocolates a public or private company?
Asher's Chocolates is a private company. It is currently operating.
When was Asher's Chocolates founded?
Asher's Chocolates was founded in 1892. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Asher's Chocolates based?
Asher's Chocolates is headquartered in Souderton, United States, in the North America region.
How does Asher's Chocolates make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Direct Consumer E-commerce is the primary driver. The others are corporate Gifting and retail Distribution.
Who are Asher's Chocolates's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Godiva Chocolates, The Hershey Company, Mars Wrigley (Mars, Inc.) and Lindt & Sprüngli. Direct peers are See's Candies, Russell Stover Chocolates, Ghirardelli Chocolate Company, Gertrude Hawk Chocolates and Whitman's Chocolates. Pennsylvania Dutch Candies is listed as a regional player.
Does Asher's Chocolates have an API?
No public API is recorded for Asher's Chocolates.
What industry is Asher's Chocolates in?
Asher's Chocolates's product category is Premium Chocolate Confections. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAKAAAD, Confectionery Manufacturing (Chocolate, Candy, Gum), with a secondary code of CRADABAA, Chocolate & Chocolate Confectionery. Its NAICS code is 31135 and its SIC code is 2060.