Chocolate Lovers Asked And Mars Answered: Fan Favorites Return Along With New Innovations

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J., Oct. 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Mars Chocolate North America announced today 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 this week.

"We're introducing some tantalizing new flavors to our brand portfolios, as well as relaunching 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.

"Confectionery is the most responsive category to merchandising, so it's critical to place secondary displays along the path to purchase in what we call 'hot spot' locations," says LaBerge. "The 'hot spots' in a convenience store are by the register, cold vault, foodservice/deli and fountain drinks. When shoppers reach for a beverage or a sandwich, they're likely to grab a chocolate bar."

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.

About Mars, Incorporated

In 1911, Frank C. Mars made the first Mars candies in his Tacoma, Washington kitchen and established Mars' first roots as a confectionery company.  In the 1920s, Forrest E. Mars, Sr. joined his father in business and together they launched the MILKY WAY® bar. In 1932, Forrest, Sr. moved to the United Kingdom with a dream of  building a business based on the objective of creating a "mutuality of benefits for all stakeholders" – this objective serves as the foundation of Mars, Incorporated today. Based in McLean, Virginia, Mars has net sales of more than $33 billion, six business segments including Petcare, Chocolate, Wrigley, Food, Drinks, Symbioscience, and more than 75,000 Associates worldwide that are putting its Principles into action to make a difference for people and the planet through its performance.

Mars brands include: Petcare – PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, WHISKAS®, BANFIELD® Pet Hospital, CESAR®, SHEBA®, DREAMIES® and NUTRO®; Chocolate – M&M'S®, SNICKERS®, DOVE®, GALAXY®, MARS®, MILKY WAY® and TWIX®; Wrigley – DOUBLEMINT®, EXTRA®, ORBIT® and 5™ chewing gums, SKITTLES® and STARBURST® candies, and ALTOIDS® AND LIFESAVERS® mints.  Food – UNCLE BEN'S®, DOLMIO®, EBLY®, MASTERFOODS®, SEEDS OF CHANGE® and ROYCO®; Drinks – ALTERRA COFFEE ROASTERS™, THE BRIGHT TEA COMPANY™, KLIX® and FLAVIA®; Symbioscience – COCOAVIA® and WISDOM PANEL®.

For more information, please visit www.mars.com.  Follow us: facebook.com/mars, twitter.com/marsglobal, youtube.com/mars, linkedin.com/company/mars.

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SOURCE Mars Chocolate North America