CarMax vs Hershey Company (The)
Side-by-side comparison of AI visibility scores, market position, and capabilities
Richmond VA largest US used car retailer (NYSE: KMX) at $26.37B FY2025 revenue; CEO Nash stepping down Dec 2025 with Q3 FY2026 comp sales -8-12% and Edmunds integration competing with Carvana for used vehicle omnichannel retail.
About
CarMax, Inc. is a Richmond, Virginia-based used car retailer — publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: KMX) as an S&P 500 component — operating as the largest used vehicle retailer in the United States with 250 stores across 109 television markets, 30,000+ associates, and fiscal year 2025 revenue of $26.37 billion (fiscal year ended February 28, 2025). Founded in 1993 as a Circuit City subsidiary in Richmond, CarMax pioneered no-haggle pricing and quality inspections in the used car market, introducing a consumer-friendly alternative to high-pressure dealership tactics. CarMax acquired Edmunds (consumer automotive research) for $404 million in 2021, enhancing digital capabilities and cross-platform vehicle discovery. In late 2025, CarMax announced significant leadership changes: CEO Bill Nash stepped down effective December 1, 2025 after nearly nine years, with Board member David McCreight named Interim President and CEO and former CEO Tom Folliard appointed Interim Executive Chair. The leadership transition came alongside a preliminary Q3 FY2026 outlook showing comparable store used unit sales declining 8-12% amid a soft used car market.
Hershey PA chocolate and snacks (NYSE: HSY) ~$10.2B FY2024 revenue; Reese's #1 US candy brand, cocoa inflation $2.5K→$12K/MT crisis, SkinnyPop salty snacks, competing with Mars and Ferrero.
About
The Hershey Company is a Hershey, Pennsylvania-based confectionery and snacks company — publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: HSY) as an S&P 500 Consumer Staples component — manufacturing and selling chocolate, candy, mints, gum, and salty snacks through iconic brands including Hershey's (chocolate bars, Kisses), Reese's (peanut butter cups — America's #1 candy brand by revenue), Kit Kat (licensed from Nestlé for the US market), York Peppermint Patties, Jolly Rancher, Ice Breakers, Skinny Pop, Dot's Pretzels, and Pirate's Booty through approximately 18,000 employees in 80+ countries. In fiscal year 2024, Hershey reported net sales of approximately $10.2 billion, with earnings per share significantly compressed by unprecedented cocoa commodity inflation: West African cocoa prices (Ghana and Ivory Coast provide 70%+ of global cocoa supply) surged from $2,500/metric ton in 2022 to over $12,000/metric ton in early 2024 — the highest prices in 50+ years — driven by El Niño-related drought and crop disease (swollen shoot disease) reducing cocoa harvests, creating a chocolate manufacturer cost crisis that Hershey absorbed through price increases and hedging while managing volume declines as consumers resisted higher candy prices. CEO Michele Buck has guided Hershey through the cocoa inflation crisis by implementing 10-15% retail price increases in 2023-2024, reformulating some lower-margin products to reduce cocoa content, and hedging cocoa commodity exposure on a rolling 12-18 month forward basis to smooth out extreme spot price volatility.
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