Mars confectionery and snacking strategy – summary
- Mars sets industry agenda through scale, acquisitions, and R&D signalling growth
- Kellanova acquisition expands Mars beyond confectionery into resilient global snacking
- Premiumisation accelerated via KIND and Hotel Chocolat strengthening pricing power
- Core brands defended using flavour, format, innovation, collaborations, and faster cycles
- Health, sustainability, retail pressures, and GLP-1 trends force portfolio evolution
Mars, Inc. is the biggest confectionery and snacking company in the world, meaning that, not only does it dominate sales, it also plays a major role in setting the agenda for the industry.
When it focuses on key areas like sustainability, health and wellness, or reformulation, others invariably follow.
What’s more, investment decisions including acquisitions and R&D spend, signal where the multinational expects to see growth, giving clues to competitors on where they should allocate resources.
In short, Mars doesn’t just participate in industry trends, it shapes them.
So what’s the American multinational focusing on now and what does the future look like?
Growth
With the acquisition of Kellanova at the end of last year, it’s unsurprising to see that growth is a major part of Mars’ strategy.
In fact, it’s a “key objective” says Kasia Davies, data journalist for consumer goods at Statista.
The Kellanova deal significantly broadens Mars’ reach beyond confectionery and into global snacking staples such as Pringles, Pop‑Tarts and Cheez‑It, strengthening its exposure to faster‑growing and more resilient categories.
This follows a pattern established by earlier acquisitions, from Wrigley in 2008 to Trü Frü in 2022, which helped Mars diversify beyond chocolate and hard sweets into chewing gum, better‑for‑you snacks and indulgence.
Premiumisation
Mars is also focusing heavily on premiumisation, says Statista’s Davies.
This is evidenced through recent acquisitions like snack brand KIND in 2020 and Hotel Chocolat in 2023.
They signal a strategic shift towards brands with strong identities, loyal consumer bases and greater pricing power, as Mars looks to capitalise on growing demand for premium and better‑for‑you indulgence.
Protecting core brands
Mars is committed to defending its core confectionery franchises, particularly global power brands like M&M’s and Mars, says Statista’s Davies. This, she explains, is achieved through “significant investment in new formats, flavours, and textures” to maintain relevance and fend off challengers.
Recent examples of this include the newly-launched M&M’s Bakery Collection, a limited‑edition range shaped by consumer voting, which resulted in flavours such as Lemon Meringue Pie, Peanut Butter Cinnamon Roll, and Cherry Chocolate Cupcake. Similarly Skittles, introduced Skittles Gummies Fuego in 2026 – combining familiar fruity profiles with a sweet‑and‑spicy chilli coating.
Better-for-you
Mars has been steadily building out its better‑for‑you credentials, in response to rising consumer demand for healthier snacking options.
Acquired brands such as Nature’s Bakery and Trü Frü provide readymade entry points into healthy snacking, while the company is also working to embed health‑led improvements across its wider portfolio.
The maker of Twix, Milky Way and Snickers also set a target to reduce sodium by 5% across its portfolio, signalling a more systemic approach to reformulation rather than one confined to niche brands.
The better-for-you strategy is also visible within its mainstream portfolio. Innovations including Mars Protein, which contains 10 grams of protein and 40% less sugar, points towards efforts to futureproof core brands as consumer expectations shift.
Added to this, much of Wrigley’s chewing gum portfolio is now sugar‑free, reflecting long‑standing leadership in reduced‑sugar alternatives.
Looking ahead, Mars’ innovation strategy may be forced to evolve further if changes in consumer behaviours accelerate. The growing impact of GLP‑1 weight‑loss drugs is already reshaping the snacking landscape, increasing demand for low‑sugar and increased functionality. Should this trend continue, Statista’s Davies believes Mars may need to move beyond incremental innovation towards a more fundamental portfolio pivot to remain aligned with emerging consumption patterns.
Retail relationships and pricing power
Mars’ size also gives it significant influence at the retail level. Its pricing strategies, promotional mechanics and category roles often help define how confectionery is merchandised on shelf, from fixture allocation to promotional cadence. Retailers frequently look to Mars as a benchmark supplier, shaping expectations for innovation frequency, sustainability commitments and reformulation targets across the category.
However, this influence cuts both ways. As retailers face their own margin pressures, negotiations around price increases, pack sizes and promotions are likely to become more complex, testing the limits of Mars’ pricing power in an increasingly value‑conscious environment.
Sustainability and responsibility
While better‑for‑you products address individual health concerns, sustainability remains another key lever through which Mars exerts influence over the wider confectionery industry. As one of the world’s largest cocoa buyers, Mars’ commitments on issues such as responsible sourcing, deforestation and emissions reduction have outsized ripple effects across supply chains. When Mars raises its sustainability expectations, suppliers and competitors are often compelled to follow, helping to reset baseline standards for the category.
Recent announcements include a recent wind-power deal in Lithuania and regenerative agriculture advancements in Ecuador.
That said, sustainability increasingly intersects with cost pressures, particularly amid volatile cocoa prices and inflationary headwinds. How Mars balances long‑term environmental commitments with the need to protect margins will be closely watched by the rest of the industry, especially as consumers continue to expect both ethical credentials and affordability.
Competitive pressure and market tensions
Despite its scale, Mars is not immune to competitive pressure. Rivals such as Ferrero Group and Mondelēz International, continue to push aggressively into both premium and value segments, while smaller, more agile challenger brands are often faster to respond to emerging consumer trends.
Private label is also becoming more sophisticated, particularly in Europe, placing further pressure on branded players to justify price premiums.
Mars’ strategy of defending core brands through constant innovation suggests the company is acutely aware of these threats, particularly in mature markets where growth is harder won. The challenge will be maintaining brand distinctiveness at scale while avoiding consumer fatigue from constant extensions.
Mars 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.
UK: The UK remains Mars’ biggest market, with six of their brands ranking among the nation’s most popular chocolate. Galaxy leads at 54%, followed by Maltesers at 44%, Snickers at 38%, Twix at 36%, M&M’s at 35%, and its namesake Mars at 33%.
United States: M&M’s lead Mars confectionery sales in the US, with 47% of consumers putting it as their favourite treat. This is closely followed by Snickers at 43%. Twix, Dove Chocolate, and 3 Musketeers also appear in the top 10.
Germany: Mars products are much less popular in Germany, with Snickers holding the top spot at just 35% of confectionery sales. M&M’s and Twix follow with 30% each, while Mars and Milky Way trail behind at 22% and 21% respectively. However, the gum brands that Mars took over through the acquisition of Wrigley gives it considerable success in the German market, with 6 out of the top 10 confectionery gum brands in Germany owned by the American giant.
Brazil & India: Mars has a more limited presence in these markets. Brazilian consumers favour Snickers (32%) and Twix (29%), the only two Mars brands to make it into the top confectionery rankings. India tells a similar story, with Mars bars the sole brand to make the list, and taking 32% of sales share.
Mexico: Mars holds stronger brand presence and diversity here, with four Mars products among the most commonly eaten options. Snickers dominates at 59%, followed by Mars at 29%, Dove Chocolate at 19%, and Twix at 16%.
These figures highlight that Mars has a global presence, says Statista’s Davies, though it has a significantly stronger presence in some countries than others.
Mars’ next move
Mars’ recent moves signal that growth will come from portfolio breadth rather than reliance on traditional chocolate alone, with premium, better‑for‑you and adjacent snacking categories doing more of the heavy lifting.
At the same time, its continued investment in core brands shows just how fundamental they are to the future of the business.
For the wider industry, these moves underscore the importance of growth through diversification alongside continued commitment to established high-profile brands.
