The Product
Ghirardelli Chocolate Company is adding a Dubai Style Chocolate SQUARES® SKU to its retail lineup, putting pistachio-kataifi filling inside its signature individually wrapped square format at a $10.99 suggested retail price for a 4.4 oz. bag. The product is live now on Ghirardelli.com and rolling into major retailers nationwide.
The new square carries a taller profile than the standard SQUARES format — an intentional structural tweak to accommodate the layered filling: smooth pistachio cream, crispy kataifi pastry strands, and a milk chocolate shell. Individually wrapped pieces make it easy to merchandise at the candy and snack impulse fixture or position as a take-home treat in the packaged-confections set.
Why It Matters for C-Store Candy Sets
Dubai-style chocolate — the pistachio-kataifi combination that went viral on social media beginning in 2024 — has moved from specialty import to mainstream confection faster than most flavor trends in the category. Major chocolate brands have been racing to translate the format into scalable, shelf-stable SKUs, and Ghirardelli's entry carries meaningful brand equity: 170-plus years of U.S. chocolate making and a consumer base that already expects a premium, dessert-adjacent experience.
For c-store candy buyers, that brand recognition matters at the point of purchase. Bobby Oliver, Vice President and Head of Marketing at Ghirardelli, framed the launch as a deliberate effort to bring the trend into a trusted format. "We've brought that experience into Ghirardelli's iconic format while delivering the premium quality that consumers expect from our brand," Oliver said.
At $10.99 for 4.4 oz., the SKU occupies the upper end of the packaged-chocolate price band — territory that has proven viable at the forecourt register as consumers increasingly trade up on premium confections and snack impulse purchases. NACS data has consistently shown that candy and packaged sweets rank among the top inside-sales categories by margin contribution for single-store operators and regional chains alike, making a high-velocity trend SKU from a recognized brand a low-risk addition to the planogram.
Operator Takeaway
The individually wrapped format also opens secondary placement options beyond the main candy set — checkout counter, coffee-and-dispensed-beverage adjacency, or a dedicated premium-snack section. Ghirardelli's bean-to-bar positioning and the ongoing consumer appetite for globally inspired flavors give the SKU a story that can support both impulse and intentional purchase occasions. Operators sourcing through their candy distributor or direct-store-delivery programs should verify availability and confirm the planogram fit before the holiday confection reset cycle.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
