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Ghirardelli Chocolate Company has expanded into the commercial sweet bakery sector with the launch of Ghirardelli Crispy Cookies.

The product line marks the brand's commercial debut in the packaged cookie aisle, introducing two chocolate-led varieties packaged in 6.3-ounce (180g) 10-count cartons. The collection is currently available via the brand's direct-to-consumer digital storefront, ahead of a phased brick-and-mortar retail rollout commencing at Kroger on 11 October 2026 and Walmart on 24 October 2026. A broader national retail expansion across additional grocery banners will follow in January 2027.

The launch translates the company’s nearly 175-year chocolate processing heritage into finished baked goods, targeting consumer demand for premium confectionery ingredients within everyday ambient snacking formats.

"At Ghirardelli, we've always believed that everything tastes better when made with Ghirardelli," said Bobby Oliver, Vice President and Head of Marketing at Ghirardelli Chocolate Company. "Cookies are one of those simple, familiar treats people reach for every day, and we saw an opportunity to make that experience distinctly Ghirardelli by bringing the quality and delicious chocolate taste consumers know and love to the cookie aisle."

Product Formulations and Pack Architecture

The Crispy Cookies range focuses on delivering a crisp, thin texture with toasted edges, pairing traditional bakery doughs with high-percentage chocolate inclusions:

🍪 Classic Chocolate Chip Crispy Cookies: Formulated with Ghirardelli chocolate chips as the primary ingredient by weight, balancing buttery biscuit notes with brown sugar and vanilla sweetness, packaged in 6.3-ounce (180g) cartons of 10 cookies.

🍫 Double Chocolate Crispy Cookies: Developed for high-intensity chocolate delivery, combining Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips with cocoa powder blended directly into the chocolate dough matrix, packaged in 6.3-ounce (180g) 10-count cartons.

By positioning chocolate chips as the lead ingredient in its flagship SKU, the manufacturer differentiates the offering from conventional mass-market biscuits that typically rely on wheat flour and refined sugars as dominant formulation inputs.

Brand Extension into Ambient Sweet Bakery

The commercialisation of Ghirardelli Crispy Cookies represents a brand extension from the baking aisle and seasonal confectionery fixture into centre-store snacking.

While Ghirardelli has long held substantial market presence across premium chocolate squares, bars, and retail baking chocolate chips, entering ready-to-eat baked snacks enables the brand to capture immediate-consumption and daytime grazing occasions.

The format shift allows the brand owner to leverage established brand recognition from home baking to lower purchase barriers in the pre-packaged biscuit fixture, where mainstream consumers increasingly seek premium ingredient cues without moving to specialised artisanal bakeries.

Distribution and Retail Availability

Ghirardelli is executing a phased commercial rollout designed to build retail momentum across major US supermarket multiples:

Direct-to-Consumer Launch: Immediate commercial purchasing opened via Ghirardelli.com.

Preliminary Multi-Banner Grocery Rollout: In-store distribution commences at Kroger locations nationwide on 11 October 2026, followed by Walmart listings beginning 24 October 2026.

National Channel Expansion: Broad-scale wholesale distribution across conventional grocery, mass merchandisers, and digital retail channels will initiate in January 2027.

The structured distribution runway allows the company to establish initial sales velocity across two of the largest retail grocery networks in North America prior to full commercial distribution across secondary banners early next year.