SNICKERS® Crisper And goodnessknows® Snack Squares Take Center Stage At Industry Trade Show

Mars Chocolate North America Unveils Innovations at 2015 NACS Show

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Oct 12, 2015, 02:00 ET

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J., Oct. 12, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Mars Chocolate North America announced today an industry-leading lineup of new products that will hit store shelves in the coming months, including SNICKERS® Crisper and goodnessknows® snack squares. These innovations will join newcomers COMBOS® Baked Snacks Chocolate Fudge Pretzel, DOVE® Chocolate Fruit & Nut, M&M'S® Crispy Chocolate Candies, M&M'S® Brand To-Go Bottles, MILKY WAY MIDNIGHT® Bar 2 To Go and festive seasonal items. Mars Chocolate is unveiling these items, along with 2016 promotions and merchandising tools, at the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) Show in Las Vegas this week.

Mars Chocolate North America announced today an industry-leading lineup of new products that will hit store shelves in the coming months, including SNICKERS(R) Crisper. Mars Chocolate is unveiling these items at the National Association of Convenience Stores Show in Las Vegas this week. SNICKERS(R) Crisper delivers crispy satisfaction with a delicious combination of crisped rice and peanuts topped with a layer of caramel and coated in creamy milk chocolate.

At a trade show for the National Association of Convenience Stores in Las Vegas this week, Mars Chocolate North America is unveiling several new items, including goodnessknows(R) snack squares. Made with whole nuts, real fruits, toasted oats and dark chocolate, goodnessknows(R) snack squares contain no artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners. Available in three flavors -- Cranberry Almond Dark Chocolate, Apple Almond & Peanut Dark Chocolate and Peach & Cherry Almond Dark Chocolate...

"SNICKERS® Bar is the top-selling and fastest-turning item on shelf, so shoppers will be eager to pick up new SNICKERS® Crisper," says Tim LeBel, Vice President of Sales for Mars Chocolate North America. "This new item -- along with new M&M'S® Crispy Candies -- answers consumers' desire for new textures, which has created a Crispy Crunchy Segment within the Chocolate Category."

LeBel explains that confectionery is the most responsive category to quality merchandising, so secondary displays are critical to a retailer's success. Mars offers a wide range of display options, such as a new Counter Rack and C-store Endcap Display, both which include the core Mars and Wrigley brands.

At the NACS Show, retailers also will see a versatile option to display M&M'S^® Brand Milk Chocolate Candies: the Single Face Carton. This new format allows for merchandising on the shelf, on the wall, and on the counter. The smaller design creates four additional inches of shelf space, and the reduced carton count, from 48 to 36 singles, improves product shelf life by 6 weeks.

As retailers plan their merchandising strategies, LeBel reminds them to incorporate seasonal items. "All c-stores should offer a variety of seasonal confections to increase impulse purchases," says LeBel. "Displaying seasonal in a specific area of the store will teach consumers to seek out new items in this space." He points out that 67 percent of total annual confectionery sales across all channels occur during the four major seasons.

New items Mars Chocolate will display at the NACS Show include:

SNICKERS® Crisper combines crisped rice and peanuts topped with a layer of caramel and coated in creamy milk chocolate. Singles packs feature two pieces, each with 100 calories. (November 2015, $.99 - $1.09 for 1.41-oz. single, $1.69-$1.79 for 2.83-oz. 4 to Go, $2.69-$3.99 for 10.61-oz. Medium FUN SIZE® Bag)
goodnessknows^® Snack Squares -- available in Cranberry Almond Dark Chocolate, Apple Almond & Peanut Dark Chocolate, and Peach & Cherry Almond Dark Chocolate -- are made with whole nuts, real fruits, toasted oats and dark chocolate. (September 2015, $1.59 - $1.99, 1.2 oz. singles, $4.99-$6.99 for a five-pack carton)
COMBOS^® Baked Snacks Chocolate Fudge Pretzel features a creamy fudge filling surrounded by a salty, crunchy pretzel shell. (November 2015, $2.29 for 6.0 oz. bags)
DOVE® Chocolate Fruit & Nut. Real fruit and spiced nuts joined with silky smooth DOVE® Chocolate to create an explosion of flavors and textures. It will debut in three flavor combinations: Strawberry & Cocoa Almond, Blueberry & Vanilla Cashew and Raspberry & Honey Roasted Almond. (December 2015, $3.99 - $4.29 for 5.5-oz. small SUP)
M&M'S® Brand Crispy Chocolate Candies launched in January 2015 and feature a unique, crispy center covered in creamy milk chocolate, enclosed in a colorful candy shell. ($1.09-$1.39 for 1.35 oz. single, $1.69-$1.99 for 2.83 oz. Sharing Size, $2.99-$3.99 for 9.9 oz. bag, $9.49-$10.49 for 30 oz. stand-up pouch)
M&M'S^® Brand To-Go Bottles are innovative, re-closable and reusable bottles containing M&M'S® Brand Milk Chocolate Candies or M&M'S® Brand Peanut Chocolate Candies. (November 2015, $2.50-$3.50 for 3.5 oz. bottle)
M&M'S^® Brand will re-launch the M&M'S^® Brand Box Pack format in March 2016 with major marketing that includes the blockbuster promotion "M&M'S® Brand Movie Mania." (March 2016, $1.00-$1.99 per box pack)
MILKY WAY MIDNIGHT® Bar will be available in a 2 To Go Sharing Size. With two pieces enclosed in an innovative, resealable twist-wrap, the 2 To Go format provides consumers with portability and portion control. (December 2015, $1.69-$1.99 for 2.83 oz. 2 To Go)
Seasonal Shapes in singles and 2 To Go formats make snacking more festive, including TWIX^® Brand Ghosts, Santas, Hearts and Eggs; SNICKERS® Brand Pumpkins, Christmas Trees, Hearts and Eggs; and MILKY WAY® Simply Caramel Bunnies.
For Easter 2016, consumer favorite M&M'S® Brand Peanut Butter Eggs will be available in a convenient 1.3-ounce pack for immediate consumption.

Retailers can contact their Mars Chocolate representative for details on product innovations, consumer promotions and shopper insights and visit www.marspresskit.com.

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.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151009/275745

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151009/275746

SOURCE Mars Chocolate North America