Mars ITR creates better moments to drive confectionery sales - and for visitors to its stand in Singapore

At this year’s TFWA Asia Pacific show, Mars Wrigley Confectionery International Travel Retail (Mars ITR) will use its stand to demonstrate how the right products and brands combined with display and activation can significantly boost category sales in the region. “There are pockets of confectionery excellence within Asia; however we still see masses of opportunity to build category sales inline with the region’s passenger traffic growth. By visiting the Mars ITR stand this year, we hope to give retailers a clear understanding of the various mechanisms to make this possible,” says Mars ITR Global Category Director, Raghav Rekhi.

The world’s leading confectionery brand, M&M’s® remains the key focus with wallbays, gondolas and display units highlighting best-sellers and the latest new products introduced for 2019. The stand this time will be more interactive than before. Highlight will be a bespoke M&M’s photo booth enabling visitors to take their own instant images featuring iconic Red and Yellow in various amusing and entertaining poses.  “This is an example of a fun, creative and entertaining activation,” continues Rekhi. “We know that M&M’s is the ideal brand for engaging with travellers and this is just a taster of what we can achieve. We also hope the photo booth will give visitors the opportunity to take some time out for making happy memories.”

Critically, Mars ITR research has shown that in Asia one of the four key reasons for purchase – Celebrate – is particularly important (according to Mars Wrigley ITR research, 49% cite as a main purchasing motivator compared to 37%) and so its new M&M’s Travel retail exclusive gifting range will be particularly relevant in Singapore. Playing to the universal appeal aspect of M&M’s®, and targeting more adult travellers, the range includes four new fun designs: Fan, Torch, Flip and Funnel, featuring the iconic Red and Yellow characters, and including bags of M&M’s Chocolate in various sizes.

Connect (sharing) is a second key reason for purchase and new lines M&M’s® Salted Caramel 370g and M&M’s® Mix. 400g Sharing Pouches will be on show. Maltesers® is a popular sharing brand with fast growing momentum in Asia Pacific. To recognise this, Mars ITR will be showcasing its news 60 sq cm gondola that is ideal for secondary siting in the retail area –perfect for the main confectionery space, near the check out or even at gate sales areas. Ideal for impulse sales, the unit can carry a mix of 300g sharing pouches, 440 g sharing buckets and 360g gifting boxes.

Mars ITR considers that the point of sale medium remains untapped potential in many airports. “We have seen categorically that where impulse-purchase items – and that’s across various categories, not just confectionery – are offered for sale as passengers queue, there is a significant increase in basket size and transaction value,” continues Rekhi . In Singapore, the Mars ITR stand will include a point of sale merchandising unit that clearly demonstrates the potential to retailers, stocked with a variety of items including Mars ITR’s best selling gum Extra – which meets the Recharge need.

“The key is bringing all the elements together to connect and engage with travellers, offering them the right products to meet their purchase motivations and presenting them in the right way to maximise sales conversion,” says Rekhi. “At the Singapore show, through our stand design and implementation, we’re attempting to show retailers the different ways that this can be achieved.”

Buyers can also view redesigned packaging for M&M’s®, SNICKERS®, MALTESERS® and CELEBRATIONS®, being introduced throughout the year to reinforce the travel retail exclusive advantage and highlighting updated brand logos.