Mars Wrigley ITR pushes experience-driven strategy to attract shopp

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Mars Wrigley International Travel Retail is deepening its commitment to creating experiences that draw shoppers into stores rather than simply selling products, with the company’s M&M’s brand at the center of an ambitious lifestyle strategy that includes high-profile collaborations and transaction zone innovations.

Speaking to GTR Magazine at TFWA Asia Pacific Exhibition & Conference in Singapore, An De Volder, Market Director for Mars Wrigley ITR, outlined how the company is leveraging confectionery’s natural appeal to solve one of travel retail’s biggest challenges: getting distracted passengers off their phones and into stores.

“What we’re trying to do with M&M’s is get people into the stores, because once they’re in they often buy,” De Volder said.

The strategy is built on solid conversion data. “In confectionery, 51% of people who enter the store buy something. So, the challenge is how do you attract them to the category?” she posed.

Part of this approach is leveraging the M&M’s brand to create experiences through rotating brand collaborations such as the M&M’S x kate spade New York bags and jewelry collection. De Volder describes these collaborations as a natural evolution of the M&M’S brand, marking a shift from being a chocolate brand to becoming a broader chocolate and lifestyle brand. “If you think about what we’re trying to achieve in ITR, we are not just selling products. We want to sell an experience to the traveler,” she said.

This strategy extends to social media engagement, with Mars Wrigley measuring success beyond traditional sales metrics. “It’s also, how many people take a picture? What do they post on social media? Success does not only sit in sales, but in the experience you create and how people react to that,” De Volder explained.

Portfolio expansion

Mars Wrigley ITR is expanding its gifting portfolio with new innovations, including the first M&M’s Sense of Place gifting box designed exclusively for Singapore. This decision was made in response to clear market demand, with the company noting that travelers are increasingly seeking gift-worthy items across different price points.

“We had work to do on our portfolio. I think from a branding perspective, we have been very strong in travel retail. If you look into the top sellers globally, we have a couple of SKUs among them, but we know there’s a lot more potential,” De Volder said.

The Singapore gifting box represents a test case for broader geographic expansion. “We have sense of place activated in Dubai. But this is a different kind of execution, and so Singapore is going to be our test – of course, with the objective to launch it in additional locations.”

Mars Wrigley’s portfolio strategy recognizes that travelers are purchasing different types of confectionery throughout their journey, and also making purchases for different reasons. “Some people want and need to connect with their friends, with their family, who they’re traveling with. Others are looking for a truly gift-worthy item.”

The company’s gum portfolio, while not displayed in Singapore, addresses functional traveler needs beyond traditional snacking. De Volder noted the functional benefit of being able to chew something on a flight, helping to keep ears clear from pressure changes.

Driving incremental sales

Beyond traditional retail spaces, Mars Wrigley ITR is pioneering transaction-zone concepts that transform checkout areas into revenue-generating opportunities. The company recently launched Europe’s first collaborative transaction zone with Avolta at Athens International Airport.

“We are taking this concept into the total category vision, the potential of unlocking the transaction zone,” said De Volder. “As Mars is a very relevant player into this domain, we have massive amounts of shopping research.”

“We’re working with the industry to help them understand the value of this,” De Volder continued. “Sometimes retailers place high-price-point products at the pay station, but mentally, shoppers’ baskets are typically already full by that stage. Instead, different need states emerge, such as ‘for me,’ ‘for now,’ or ‘to refresh,’ making lower-priced items more relevant and more likely to be purchased as impulse add-ons alongside chocolate gifts or beauty products.”

The transaction-zone strategy targets specific traveler needs at the point of purchase. “At the end of the journey, people come through the transaction zone to check out, and the need state is different. This is a massive opportunity for travel retail because what you don’t often find today are small products at low price points,” she said.

This approach extends beyond confectionery to encompass multiple categories. “When we talk to retailers, we talk to the completeness of the category. So it will include salty solutions and, of course, it will include the refreshed portfolio. It will also include the travel essential portfolio.” The company supports retailers comprehensively in transaction-zone implementation, extending beyond product placement to furniture design and execution speed.

Inflation resilience

Despite significant cocoa price increases affecting the broader confectionery industry, Mars Wrigley ITR reports no volume declines in travel retail, attributing resilience to strategic pricing and brand positioning.

“I think the total industry, and definitely retailers, were quite afraid of what was going to happen due to inflation and how the consumer was going to react. But we do not see volume declines,” De Volder said.

Mars Wrigley ITR’s confidence in continued growth stems from what De Volder sees as untapped potential in travel retail execution. “While retailers often recognize the opportunity, execution requires time. We fully acknowledge the complexity retailers are managing, and recognize that speed and agility in implementation are critical to realizing the full potential. With the right focus and momentum, we believe meaningful impact is within reach to attract the travellers to the confectionary space and boost the basket size.”