The Hershey Company was incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware on October 24, 1927 as a successor to a business founded in 1894 by Milton S. Hershey. In this report, the terms “Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our” mean The Hershey Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries and entities in which it has a controlling financial interest, unless the context indicates otherwise.

We are the largest producer of quality chocolate in North America and a global leader in chocolate and sugar confectionery. Our principal product groups include chocolate and sugar confectionery products; pantry items, such as baking ingredients, toppings and beverages; and gum and mint refreshment products.

Reportable Segment

We operate as a single reportable segment in manufacturing, marketing, selling and distributing our products under more than 80 brand names. Our two operating segments comprise geographic regions including North America and International. We market our products in approximately 70 countries worldwide.

For segment reporting purposes, we aggregate the operations of North America and International to form one reportable segment. We base this aggregation on similar economic characteristics; products and services; production processes; types or classes of customers; distribution methods; and the similar nature of the regulatory environment in each location.

Organization

We operate under a matrix reporting structure designed to ensure continued focus on North America and on continuing our transformation into a more global company. Our business is organized around geographic regions and strategic business units. It is designed to enable us to build processes for repeatable success in our global markets.

Our geographic regions are accountable for delivering our annual financial plans. The key regions are:

In addition, The Hershey Experience manages our retail operations globally, including Hershey’s Chocolate World Stores in Hershey, Pennsylvania, New York City, Chicago, Shanghai, Niagara Falls (Ontario), Dubai, and Singapore.

Our two strategic business units are the chocolate business unit and the sweets and refreshment business unit. These strategic business units focus on specific components of our product line and are responsible for building and leveraging the Company’s global brands, and disseminating best demonstrated practices around the world.

Business Acquisitions

In December 2013, we entered into an agreement to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Shanghai Golden Monkey Food Joint Stock Co., Ltd. (“SGM”), a privately held confectionery company based in Shanghai, China. SGM manufactures, markets and distributes Golden Monkey branded products, including candy, chocolates, protein-based products and snack foods, in China. As of the date of the agreement, SGM manufactured products in five cities and had more than 130 sales offices and approximately 1,700 sales representatives and 2,000 distributors covering all regions and trade channels in China.

In January 2012, we acquired all of the outstanding stock of Brookside Foods Ltd. (“Brookside”), a privately held confectionery company based in Abbottsford, British Columbia, Canada. As part of this transaction, we acquired two production facilities located in British Columbia and Quebec. The Brookside product line is primarily sold in the U.S. and Canada in a take-home re-sealable pack type.

Our other products we sell in the United States include the following:

We also sell products in the United States under the following product lines:

Premium products

Artisan Confections Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Hershey Company, markets SCHARFFEN BERGER high-cacao dark chocolate products, and DAGOBA natural and organic chocolate products. Our SCHARFFEN BERGER products include chocolate bars and tasting squares. DAGOBA products include chocolate bars, drinking chocolate and baking products.

Refreshment products

Our line of refreshment products includes ICE BREAKERS mints and chewing gum, ICE BREAKERS ICE CUBES chewing gum, BREATH SAVERS mints, and BUBBLE YUM bubble gum.

Pantry items

Pantry items include HERSHEY’S, REESE’S, HEATH , and SCHARFFEN BERGER baking products. Our toppings and sundae syrups include REESE’S , HEATH and HERSHEY’S . We sell hot cocoa mix under the HERSHEY’S BLISS brand name.

Canada

In Canada we sell HERSHEY’S milk chocolate bars and milk chocolate with almonds bars; OH HENRY! candy bars; REESE PEANUT BUTTER CUPS candy; HERSHEY’S KISSES brand milk chocolates; TWIZZLERS candy; GLOSETTE chocolate-covered raisins, peanuts and almonds; JOLLY RANCHER candy; WHOPPERS malted milk balls; SKOR toffee bars; EAT MORE candy bars; POT OF GOLD boxed chocolates; BROOKSIDE chocolate-covered fruit, real fruit juice pieces and nuts; and CHIPITS chocolate chips.

International

The primary products we sell in our International businesses include the following:

China

We import, market, sell and distribute chocolate and candy products in China, primarily under the HERSHEY’S, KISSES and LANCASTER brands.

Mexico

We manufacture, import, market, sell and distribute chocolate, sweets, refreshment and beverage products in Mexico under the HERSHEY’S , KISSES , JOLLY RANCHER and PELON PELO RICO brands.

Brazil

We manufacture, import and market chocolate, sweets and refreshment products in Brazil, including HERSHEY’S chocolate and confectionery items and IO-IO items .

India

We manufacture, market, sell and distribute sugar confectionery, beverage and cooking oil products in India, including NUTRINE and MAHA LACTO confectionery products and JUMPIN and SOFIT beverage products.

Other International

We also export, market, sell and distribute chocolate, sweets and refreshment products in Central America and Puerto Rico, and other countries in Latin America, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa regions. We license the VAN HOUTEN brand name and related trademarks to sell chocolate products, cocoa, and baking products in Asia and the Middle East for the retail and duty-free distribution channels.

Customers

Full-time sales representatives and food brokers sell our products to our customers. Our customers are mainly wholesale distributors, chain grocery stores, mass merchandisers, chain drug stores, vending companies, wholesale clubs, convenience stores, dollar stores, concessionaires and department stores. Except for wholesale distributors, our other customers resell our products to end-consumers in retail outlets in North America and other locations worldwide. In 2013, sales to McLane Company, Inc., one of the largest wholesale distributors in the United States to convenience stores, drug stores, wholesale clubs and mass merchandisers, amounted to approximately 25.5% of our total net sales. McLane Company, Inc. is the primary distributor of our products to Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

Marketing Strategy and Seasonality

The foundation of our marketing strategy is our strong brand equities, product innovation and the consistently superior quality of our products. We devote considerable resources to the identification, development, testing, manufacturing and marketing of new products. We have a variety of promotional programs for our customers as well as advertising and promotional programs for consumers of our products. We use our promotional programs to stimulate sales of certain products at various times throughout the year. Our sales are typically higher during the third and fourth quarters of the year, representing seasonal and holiday-related sales patterns.

Product Distribution

In conjunction with our sales and marketing efforts, our efficient product distribution network helps us maintain sales growth and provide superior customer service. We plan optimum stock levels and work with our customers to set reasonable delivery times. Our distribution network provides for the efficient shipment of our products from our manufacturing plants to strategically located distribution centers. We primarily use common carriers to deliver our products from these distribution points to our customers.

Price Changes

We change prices and weights of our products when necessary to accommodate changes in costs, the competitive environment and profit objectives, while at the same time seeking to maintain consumer value. Price increases and weight changes help to offset increases in our input costs, including raw and packaging materials, fuel, utilities, transportation, and employee benefits.

Usually there is a time lag between the effective date of list price increases and the impact of the price increases on net sales. The impact of price increases is often delayed because we honor previous commitments to planned consumer and customer promotions and merchandising events subsequent to the effective date of the price increases. In addition, promotional allowances may be increased subsequent to the effective date, delaying or partially offsetting the impact of price increases on net sales.  

In March 2011, we announced a weighted-average increase in wholesale prices of approximately 9.7% across the majority of our U.S., Puerto Rico and export portfolio, effective immediately. The price increase applied to our instant consumable, multi-pack, packaged candy and grocery lines. Direct buying customers were able to purchase transitional amounts of product into May 2011, and seasonal net price realization did not occur until Easter 2012.

Raw Materials

Cocoa products are the most significant raw materials we use to produce our chocolate products. Cocoa products, including cocoa liquor, cocoa butter and cocoa powder processed from cocoa beans, are used to meet manufacturing requirements. Cocoa products are purchased directly from third-party suppliers. These third-party suppliers source cocoa beans which are grown principally in Far Eastern, West African and South American equatorial regions to produce the cocoa products we purchase. West Africa accounts for approximately 72% of the world’s supply of cocoa beans.

Adverse weather, crop disease, political unrest, and other problems in cocoa-producing countries have caused price fluctuations in the past, but have never resulted in the total loss of a particular producing country’s cocoa crop and/or exports. In the event that a significant disruption occurs in any given country, we believe cocoa from other producing countries and from current physical cocoa stocks in consuming countries would provide a significant supply buffer.

We also use substantial quantities of sugar, Class II fluid dairy milk, peanuts, almonds and energy in our production process. Most of these inputs for our domestic and Canadian operations are purchased from suppliers in the United States. For our international operations, inputs not locally available may be imported from other countries.

We enter into futures contracts and other commodity derivative instruments to manage price risks for cocoa products, sugar, corn sweeteners, natural gas, fuel oil and certain dairy products. For more information on price risks associated with our major raw material requirements, see Commodities-Price Risk Management and Futures Contracts on page 39.

Product Sourcing

We manufacture or contract to our specifications for the manufacture of the products we sell. We enter into manufacturing contracts with third parties to improve our strategic competitive position and achieve cost effective production and sourcing of our products.

Competition

Many of our brands enjoy wide consumer acceptance and are among the leading brands sold in the marketplace in North America and certain markets in Latin America. We sell our brands in highly competitive markets with many other global multinational, national, regional and local firms. Some of our competitors are much larger companies that have greater resources and more substantial international operations. Competition in our product categories is based on product innovation, product quality, price, brand recognition and loyalty, effectiveness of marketing, promotional activity, the ability to identify and satisfy consumer preferences, as well as convenience and service.

Trademarks, Service Marks and License Agreements

We own various registered and unregistered trademarks and service marks, and have rights under licenses to use various trademarks that are of material importance to our business. We also grant trademark licenses to third parties to produce and sell pantry items, flavored milks and various other products primarily under the HERSHEY’S and REESE’S brand names.

We have license agreements with several companies to manufacture and/or sell and distribute certain products. Our rights under these agreements are extendible on a long-term basis at our option. Our most significant licensing agreements are as follows:

Backlog of Orders

We manufacture primarily for stock and fill customer orders from finished goods inventories. While at any given time there may be some backlog of orders, this backlog is not material to our total annual sales.

Research and Development

We engage in a variety of research and development activities in a number of countries, including the United States, Mexico, Brazil, India and China. We develop new products, improve the quality of existing products, improve and modernize production processes, and develop and implement new technologies to enhance the quality and value of both current and proposed product lines. Information concerning our research and development expense is contained in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements , Note 1, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies .

Food Quality and Safety Regulation

The manufacture and sale of consumer food products is highly regulated. In the United States, our activities are subject to regulation by various government agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration, the Department of Agriculture, the Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Commerce and the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as various state and local agencies. Similar agencies also regulate our businesses outside of the United States.

Our Product Excellence Program provides us with an effective product quality and safety program. This program is intended to ensure that all products we purchase, manufacture and distribute are safe, are of high quality and comply with all applicable laws and regulations.

Through our Product Excellence Program, we evaluate the supply chain including ingredients, packaging, processes, products, distribution and the environment to determine where product quality and safety controls are necessary. We identify risks and establish controls intended to ensure product quality and safety. Various government

agencies, third-party firms and our quality assurance staff conduct audits of all facilities that manufacture our products to assure effectiveness and compliance with our program and all applicable laws and regulations.

Employees

As of December 31, 2013, we employed approximately 12,600 full-time and 2,200 part-time employees worldwide. Collective bargaining agreements covered approximately 5,025 employees. During 2014, agreements will be negotiated for certain employees at five facilities outside of the United States, comprising approximately 67% of total employees under collective bargaining agreements. We believe that our employee relations are good.

Financial Information by Geographic Area

Our principal operations and markets are located in the United States. The percentage of total consolidated net sales for our businesses outside of the United States was 16.6% for 2013, 16.2% for 2012 and 15.7% for 2011. The percentage of total consolidated assets outside of the United States as of December 31, 2013 was 19.4% and as of December 31, 2012 was 20.5%.

Corporate Social Responsibility

Our founder, Milton S. Hershey, established an enduring model of responsible citizenship while creating a successful business. Driving sustainable business practices, making a difference in our communities, and operating with the highest integrity are vital parts of our heritage. Milton Hershey School, established by Milton and Catherine Hershey, lies at the center of our unique heritage. Mr. Hershey donated and bequeathed almost his entire fortune to Milton Hershey School, which remains our primary beneficiary and provides a world-class education and nurturing home to nearly 2,000 children in need annually. We continue Milton Hershey's legacy of commitment to consumers, community and children by providing high-quality products while conducting our business in a socially responsible and environmentally sustainable manner.

In 2013, we published our corporate social responsibility (“CSR”) scorecard, which provided an update on the progress we have made in advancing the priorities that were established in our first CSR report. The report outlines how we performed against the identified performance indicators within our four CSR pillars: environment, community, workplace and marketplace.

The safety and health of our employees, and the safety and quality of our products, are consistently at the core of our operations and are areas of ongoing focus for Hershey in the workplace. Our over-arching safety goal is to consistently achieve best in class safety performance, and Hershey has achieved continuous improvement in employee safety in the workplace since 2006. We continue to invest in our quality management systems to ensure product quality and food safety remain top priorities. We carefully monitor and rigorously enforce our high standards of excellence for superior quality, consistency and taste, and absolute food safety.

In 2013, Hershey was recognized for its environmental, social and governance performance by being named to both the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index and the North America Index. Hershey is one of only 13 companies from the Food, Beverage and Tobacco Industry in the World Index and ranked in at least the 90th percentile in each of the three categories of Economic, Environmental and Social Criteria. The Dow Jones Sustainability World Index tracks the performance of the top 10% of the 2,500 largest companies in the S&P Global Broad Market Index that lead the field in terms of sustainability.

Hershey has committed to minimizing the environmental impacts of our operations, regularly reviewing the ways in which we manage our operations and secure our supply of raw materials. Compared with our 2009 baseline, Hershey decreased waste generation by 23% and green house gas emissions by 8%, while improving our company-wide recycling rate to 80%. Additionally, we improved our Carbon Disclosure Project Performance and Disclosure scores. Hershey has made impressive strides in achieving Zero Waste to Landfill status at its facilities, with 8 facilities now operating at this level.

In the marketplace, Hershey focuses on promoting fair and ethical business dealings. A condition of doing business with us is compliance with our Supplier Code of Conduct, which outlines our expectations with regard to our suppliers' commitment to legal compliance and business integrity, social and working conditions, environment and food safety. We continue our leadership role in supporting programs to improve the lives of cocoa farming families through a variety of initiatives. Our 21st Century Cocoa Strategy aims to impact more than 2 million West Africans by

2017 through public/private programs as well as through Hershey initiatives, including the Hershey Learn To Grow farmer and family development centers and CocoaLink, a first-of-its kind approach that uses mobile technology to deliver practical information on agricultural and social programs to rural cocoa farmers. It is our goal to source 100% certified cocoa for our global chocolate product lines by 2020, assuming adequate supply. During 2013, 18% of the cocoa we sourced globally was certified, exceeding our goal for the year. Our active engagement and financial support also continues for the World Cocoa Foundation and the International Cocoa Initiative.

Our employees share their time and resources generously in their communities. Both directly and through the United Way, we contribute to hundreds of agencies that deliver much needed services and resources. In 2012, Hershey donated more than $9 million in cash and product to worthy causes, our employees volunteered more than 200,000 hours in their communities, and we conducted our first “Good to Give Back Week,” a week of volunteerism that saw over 350 employees across the United States and Canada volunteer over 1,300 hours. Our focus on “Kids and Kids at Risk” is supported through contributions to the Children's Miracle Network; Project Fellowship, where employees partner with student homes at the Milton Hershey School; an orphanage for special needs children in the Philippines; and a children's burn center in Guadalajara, Mexico, to name a few.

Our commitment to CSR is yielding powerful results. As we move into new markets and expand our leadership in North America, we are convinced that our values and heritage will be fundamental to our continuing success.

Available Information

We are subject to the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. We file or furnish annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). You may obtain a copy of any of these reports, free of charge, from the Investors section of our website, www.thehersheycompany.com, shortly after we file or furnish the information to the SEC.

You may obtain a copy of any of these reports directly from the SEC’s Public Reference Room. Contact the SEC by calling them at 1-800-SEC-0330 or by submitting a written request to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Office of Investor Education and Advocacy, 100 F Street N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. The SEC maintains an Internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC at www.sec.gov . You can obtain additional information on how to request public documents from the SEC on their website. The electronic mailbox address of the SEC is publicinfo@sec.gov.

We have a Code of Ethical Business Conduct that applies to our Board of Directors and all Company officers and employees, including, without limitation, our Chief Executive Officer and “senior financial officers” (including the Chief Financial Officer, Chief Accounting Officer and persons performing similar functions). You can obtain a copy of our Code of Ethical Business Conduct from the Investors section of our website, www.thehersheycompany.com . If we change or waive any portion of the Code of Ethical Business Conduct that applies to any of our directors, executive officers or senior financial officers, we will post that information on our website.

We also post our Corporate Governance Guidelines and charters for each of the Board’s standing committees in the Investors section of our website, www.thehersheycompany.com. The Board of Directors adopted these Guidelines and charters.

We will provide to any stockholder a copy of one or more of the Exhibits listed in Part IV of this report, upon request. We charge a small copying fee for these exhibits to cover our costs. To request a copy of any of these documents, you can contact us at The Hershey Company, Attn: Investor Relations Department, 100 Crystal A Drive, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033-0810.