Mars Introduces Newest Products and Brings Back Fan Favorites

Mars Chocolate North America announces a wide range of new products that will hit store shelves in the coming months, and two of the items are back by popular demand. Fan favorites M&M'S Brand Crispy Chocolate Candies and SNICKERS Xtreme Bar will join newcomers 3 MUSKETEERS Mint Bites, COMBOS Baked Snacks in two sweet and salty flavors, DOVE Whole Fruit Dipped In Dark Chocolate, TWIX Creamy Peanut Butter Cookie Bars and festive seasonal shapes. Mars Chocolate is unveiling these innovations, along with merchandising tools for the convenience store industry, at the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) Show in Las Vegas.

"We're introducing some tantalizing new flavors to our brand portfolios, as well as re-launching popular M&M'S Brand Crispy Chocolate Candies and SNICKERS Xtreme Bar," explains Rick LaBerge, vice president of Sales for Mars Chocolate North America. "Consumers are passionate about their chocolate, and they're excited to try new flavor combinations from the brands they know and love."

New items from Mars Chocolate include:

    -M&M'S Brand Crispy Chocolate Candies, a limited edition in 1998, feature a unique, crispy center covered in creamy milk chocolate, enclosed in a colorful candy shell.  (January 2015, 1.35 oz. single, 2.83 oz. Sharing Size, 9.9 oz. bag)

    -SNICKERS Xtreme Bar lives up to its name, with 50 percent more caramel and 14 percent more peanuts than the original SNICKERS Bar.  A limited edition in 2010, the bar offers a single layer of crunchy roasted peanuts and smooth caramel, enrobed in milk chocolate. (December 2014, 3.59 oz. 2 To Go Bars)

    -3 MUSKETEERS Mint Bites are bite-sized treats featuring refreshing mint-flavored fluffy nougat enrobed in silky dark chocolate. (December 2014, 2.83 oz. Sharing Size and 6.0 oz. Stand-Up Pouch)

    -COMBOS Baked Snacks Sweet & Salty Caramel Creme Pretzel delivers the nostalgic taste of caramel creme candy and a salty pretzel crunch. (November 2014, 6.0 oz. bag)

    -COMBOS Baked Snacks Sweet & Salty Vanilla Frosting Pretzel takes the cake by bringing together the flavors of salty pretzels and vanilla frosting. (November 2014, 6.0 oz. bag)

    -DOVE Whole Fruit Dipped in Dark Chocolate is a delicious combination of real fruit dipped in silky smooth DOVE® Dark Chocolate. (September 2014: Cranberry and Blueberry in 6 oz. Stand-Up Pouches; January 2015: Cherry in 6.0 oz. SUP and Cranberry and Blueberry in 2.83 ounce Sharing Size bags)

    -TWIX Creamy Peanut Butter Cookie Bars unite a layer of savory peanut butter on a classic TWIX Cookie Bar, all coated with delicious milk chocolate. The new recipe includes a traditional crunchy TWIX Cookie Bar instead of a chocolate cookie. (January 2015, 1.68 oz. package of two bars, 2.80 oz. 4 To Go)

    -Seasonal Shapes in singles and 2 To Go formats make snacking more festive. Shapes include TWIX Brand Ghosts, Santas, Hearts and Eggs, as well as SNICKERS Brand Pumpkins, Nutcrackers, Hearts and Eggs.

Seasonal confectionery sales continue to increase as consumers celebrate the holidays with their favorite brands in themed packaging and shapes. LaBerge notes that holidays are the perfect time to add shippers and other secondary displays around the store. In fact, displays help drive sales year-round, as 83 percent of all chocolate candy purchases are on impulse, according to the 2012 Candy Category Report by Point of Purchase Advertising International.

Mars offers retailers several display options, from traditional counter units and shippers to a new Mixed Singles Skinny Tower that requires minimal floor space.

Convenience retailers can sign up for the Mars Chocolate Everyday Display Program, which features themes centered on "key moments" that bring family and friends together.

Some of the 2015 moments include:  Super Bowl, NASCAR, M&M'S Brand Movie Mania and Road Trip. A Performance Rewards Program is available to c-stores that incorporate certain Mars products and displays.   

Mars also offers retailers a Convenience Store Brochure that includes advertising and consumer promotions, new items, a c-store calendar and monthly highlights. In addition, Mars24seven.com provides shopper insights, merchandising options, trends and product photos. Buyers can contact their Mars Chocolate representative for details.