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Ozempic is influencing the Halloween aisle while Walmart and AI reshape how consumers discover, buy, and receive products.

In this August 25th episode of Selling on Giants, Mr. Will breaks down why Hershey is expanding beyond traditional candy as GLP-1 medications reshape consumer snacking, how Walmart is building a complete marketplace flywheel, and why AI-referred shoppers are becoming some of the most valuable visitors in eCommerce.

Why is Hershey expanding beyond traditional Halloween candy?

Hershey is adding popcorn, cheese puffs, pretzels, and other savory snacks to its Halloween assortment as consumers become more health conscious and GLP-1 medications influence appetite, portion size, and snacking behavior. Chocolate remains the preferred Halloween treat, but Hershey sees an opportunity to serve the entire occasion instead of defending a narrow definition of the candy category.

The company’s zero-sugar candy, mint, and gum business grew more than 4 times between 2020 and 2025. Hershey is also using AI to shorten product development by roughly 3 months and identify changes such as the rise of trunk-or-treat events. Ozempic is shorthand for a much wider GLP-1 trend, and the immediate retail effect is not the disappearance of candy. It is a shift in portions, formats, ingredients, and occasions.

Why is Walmart Marketplace growing so quickly?

Walmart is connecting marketplace assortment, fulfillment, stores, shopper data, and advertising into one reinforcing system. Walmart’s global eCommerce business grew 23% in the second quarter, while Walmart eCommerce in the U.S. grew 24%. Walmart Marketplace net sales increased more than 50%, Walmart Connect grew 43%, and store-fulfilled delivery increased 40%.

Nearly half of Walmart’s marketplace volume now flows through Walmart Fulfillment Services. Marketplace expands product selection, Walmart Fulfillment Services improves delivery, more transactions create better shopper data, and Walmart Connect turns that data into advertising revenue. That revenue helps Walmart continue investing in price, technology, and fulfillment.

What does delayed back-to-school shopping signal for the holidays?

National Retail Federation data shows that shoppers had completed only about 44% of their back-to-school lists by early August, compared with 23% in early July. Consumers are beginning their research, but many are waiting longer to finish purchases as they spread spending across paychecks, wait for promotions, or delay decisions until they know exactly what is required.

Brands may see early traffic without matching conversion, assume demand is weak, and cut advertising or increase discounts too soon. If purchases arrive within a shorter window, advertising costs rise, inventory tightens, and there is little time to recover. Holiday planning needs to account for a longer research period followed by a more compressed conversion window.

Why are Amazon drones and Home Depot’s 3-hour delivery important?

Amazon plans to expand Prime Air drone delivery from 11 locations to nearly 500 cities and towns by the end of the year. More than 60% of the products customers frequently purchase from Amazon meet the basic size and weight requirements, with delivery available in as little as 30 minutes. Home Depot is also rolling out 3-hour delivery nationwide by using more more than 2,000 stores as local fulfillment hubs.

The larger trend is the move from planned convenience to immediate problem solving. A product is now competing against the fastest way the customer can solve the problem. Two-day delivery once felt remarkable. In more categories, it is beginning to feel slow.

Are shoppers coming from AI tools actually buying?

Yes. Adobe Analytics found that traffic arriving at U.S. r