Mars: The making of a confectionery powerhouse

Mars confectionery industry impact – summary

• Mars grew into the leading confectionery manufacturer through strong global brands
• Strategic acquisitions expanded Mars into fast‑growing savoury and sweet snacking
• Long‑term family ownership supports steady investment and sustained global growth
• Innovation focuses on variants, trends and advanced AI‑driven product development
• Mars expansion signals major shifts the entire global snacking sector must match

Mars, Incorporated is the world’s biggest confectionery manufacturer.

Home to big-name brands including Twix, Skittles, and Galaxy, and with estimated net annual sales worth $54.6bn (€45.8bn), the privately owned company is valued at over $137bn (Bloomberg).

So how did this buttercream candy business, founded by Frank C Mars back in 1911, become the global powerhouse we see today?

And, more importantly, what does the future hold?

How Mars made it big

Mars first rose to prominence by “developing a handful of strong international brands such as Milky Way, Snickers, and M&M’s,” says Kasia Davies, data journalist for consumer goods at analytics company, Statista.

Focus was also placed on “its expansion and acquisitions drive, its vertically integrated production and its supply chain,” ensuring efficiency gains and sustained growth.

And, perhaps most importantly, Mars kept its independence.

“As a privately held, family-owned company, Mars is not required to release official financial figures,” says Davies. “This freedom from public market pressure and the family’s guidance enables Mars to pursue long-term strategies and investments.”

It also, says Davies, allows the company to accept short-term fluctuations, such as cocoa price shifts, in order to focus on the long-term performance of its confectionery brands. In other words, it’s not at the mercy of investor demands for quick financial gains.

“Mars has been a family-owned business for over a century, and we firmly believe that one of the key drivers of our success has been the ability to think long-term, rather than just focusing solely on the near-term results,” says a spokesperson for Mars. “Our ownership structure allows us to think in generations, and to measure success in a way that balances immediate performance with long-term value creation.”

Mars has also proven itself to be a shrewd investor, with multiple industry-changing takeovers. The most notable of which was the acquisition of gum and sugar confectionery company Wrigley in 2008, creating Mars Wrigley and taking Mars into a new area of the confectionery sector.

“Over the last two decades, Mars has been on an intentional journey to shape the future of snacking,” says Mars’ spokesperson. “This began with our acquisition of Wrigley in 2008, followed by the deliberate combination of our Chocolate, Gum and Mints and Fruity Confections businesses in 2016, and since 2020, strategic acquisitions of brands like KIND, TruFru, and Hotel Chocolat.”

Another important move is the recent merger with snack brand Kellanova, owner of household names like Pringles and Pop‑Tarts. “This move not only strengthens Mars’ confectionery portfolio but also expands the company into a full-spectrum snacking business,” says Statista’s Davies.

Success in numbers

Consumer insights help paint a picture of where Mars brands resonate most, with data from Statista Consumer Insights showing varying levels of popularity across global markets.

The UK remains Mars’ strongest market, where six brands dominate national preferences – led by Galaxy (54%), followed by Maltesers (44%), Snickers (38%), Twix (36%), M&M’s (35%), and Mars (33%).

In the US, M&M’s lead with 47% of consumers, followed by Snickers at 43%, with Twix, Dove Chocolate, and 3 Musketeers also ranking highly.

Germany puts Snickers most popular at 35%, while M&M’s and Twix each reach 30%, leaving Mars and Milky Way trailing behind – however Mars finds major success in gum, owning six of the country’s top ten confectionery gum brands.

Brazil and India show limited Mars penetration, with only Snickers (32%) and Twix (29%) ranking in Brazil, and Mars bars alone reaching about 32% in India.

Meanwhile Mexico demonstrates stronger brand diversity, with Snickers at 59%, followed by Mars (29%), Dove (19%), and Twix (16%).

“The companies’ confectionery brands have a presence in many major markets,” says Davies. “Their portfolio diversity is a major asset. While some brands are widely popular, others, like Maltesers, have concentrated success in just one market.”

Data shows that almost half of people snack for comfort, and around 80% of people stay loyal to the brands they love. Plus, 66% are said to follow the same snacking habits they had as a child. This, says Davies, helps to explain why iconic brands such as Snickers continue to see high consumption across multiple markets.

Mars innovation

“Mars’ innovation approach is largely incremental,” says Statista’s Davies.

So, rather than frequently replacing existing brands, it focuses on variants as well as usage, and context-driven strategies.

It experiments with different flavours, textures, and pack sizes for its flagship brands such as Snickers – available in variants such as Snicker White, Crisp, Peanut Butter, and ice cream.

It’s also proactive in engaging with trends – protein is now the second most sought-after food group in snacks in the US. In response, Mars released a low-sugar high-protein version of Snickers and Mars bars.

Growth potential

Mars might be the biggest player in confectionery, but the industry is shifting fast meaning even the giants must evolve.

“Snacking is becoming increasingly popular, with 91% of people stating they consume at least one snack a day and 63% having at least two snacks,” says Statista’s Davies.

All this means the global snacking market will be worth almost $364bn by 2030.

Snacks, explains Davies, have traditionally been associated with savoury foods, while confectionery is viewed as more of a treat. But now the lines are blurring and preferences for sweet and savoury snacks among consumers are almost equal.

The acquisition of Kellanova shows recognition of the need to diversify their portfolio. “While Mars has many household brands to its name when it comes to candy bars, this move secured them brands such as Pringles, Cheez-It, Pop-Tarts, and Eggo, allowing them to solidify their position in the savory snack market,” says Davies.

Mars Snacking invests more than $200m in product innovation every year. The company has created a bespoke AI tool to help forecast emerging trends and accelerate innovation development, and it’s opened a $42m Global Research and Development Hub at its Chicago headquarters. “This facility gives our Associates in Chicago the ability to create and refine new products for our Snacking portfolio before scaling them across markets worldwide,” says Mars.

The future of confectionery

As Mars extends its influence across categories, formats, and global markets, the ripple effects reach far beyond its own business.

Its evolution marks a turning point for the entire confectionery and snacking sector, redefining how companies will need to compete in the years ahead.

If Mars’ next chapter is larger in scale, broader in scope, and powered by technology, it’s a clear sign that the future of snacking will demand the same ambition from everyone.

One thing’s for certain, we’ll be watching to see what the world’s biggest confectionery company does next.