Perfetti Van Melle set to introduce Chupa Chups and Mentos newcomers to the Americas
Chupa Chups has a new Sour Pouch Bag ready for the Americas
Perfetti Van Melle (PVM), a leader in sugar confectionery, will introduce its latest portfolio additions including Chupa Chups Sour Pouch Bag and the Mentos Jumbo Roll Feeling Berry Good, to its Americas travel retail customers at the IAADFS Summit of Americas, in Miami this March.
PVM will again partner with Otis McAllister to showcase its products at the event, on Booth 100.
PVM launched the Chupa Chups Sour Pouch Bag – with Sour Strawberry, Sour Lemon and Sour Apple flavors – during the TFWA World Exhibition conference in Cannes last year. According to Eric Vermetten, PVM’s Key Account Manager, Americas & Africa, the industry reaction to the sours flavor trend has been “ever-growing”.
A Feeling Berry Good Mentos flavor combination will make its debut at the show. With four packs of the top selling Mentos flavors – raspberry, strawberry, cherry – the newly rebranded Feeling Berry Good Jumbo Roll is earmarked for growth in travel retail.
In May, PVM will launch a Mentos Gum gift pack including its five most popular flavors, Fresh Mint, Spearmint, Bubblefresh, Lemonade and Strawberry, which are all sugar-free. The new gift pack is produced in line with PVM’s focus on more sustainable packaging initiatives and will save the company over 7,200 kilos of plastic per year.
According to PVM, the new Mentos Gum gift pack heroes the brand’s DNA: a sensory gum experience that offers consumers both chewy candy and refreshing fruit and mint flavors
Americas push
PVM is eyeing growth for its Americas travel retail operations, across all channels. “2024 was a good year for us in the Americas with strong performances of our two main brands – Chupa Chups and Mentos – which have all grown their market footprint,” Vermetten said.
PVM is working closely with its distributors and direct partners to introduce its latest multi-pack and gifting products and is relying on more customer data to focus on assortment optimization.
“From international and domestic airports to border stores, our partners have done a great job in seizing market opportunities in North America and Latin America regions, to grow our travel retail businesses there,” Vermetten added.
“2025 will be the year in which we will consolidate this success in US airports, by continued focus on assortment optimization with all retailers. We see huge potential to grow shelf space in the ‘grab and go’ cash till area with each of our retail partners – this will be a big focus for us as we invest in branding tools for improved visibility.”
PVM intends to use the Summit of Americas showcase to expand its scope beyond airports, particularly the cruise business and border stores, where it plans to grow still further across its brand portfolio. “Regionally we see opportunities in all parts of the Americas, but especially in Central America and Brazil; there are still some white spots to fill,” Vermetten said.
In the second half of the year PVM will ramp up its program of activations in the Americas, with a focus on LATAM tourism hotspots, such as Punta Cana and Cancun. PVM’s activations in the Americas kick off in July for a partnership with LondonSupply in Iguazu, Brazil, and a new Chupa Chups retail design featuring a large football table and localized signage.
Next to launch in August, will be activations across eight locations in Panama and Punta Cana for both Mentos and Chupa Chups, in partnership with UETA, part of DFA. The products are focused on kids gifting such as the Chupa Chups Cool Friends Backpacks and Mentos Jumbo Rolls with the dual-brand campaigns: ‘Yes to Fresh’ and ‘Forever Fun’.
For November and December, Avolta is PVM’s travel retail partner for dual-brand activations in Ezeiza, Bunos Aires, Argentina followed by Cancun, Mexico, respectively. For the Cancun activation, a 360° promotion incorporates both a shopfloor HPP at Terminal 4 and an online activation through Avolta’s Club platform, connecting the Mentos and Chupa Chups gift with purchase offers with its members via website, newsletter, and social media channels.
Also new in the Americas for 2025 are more regionally focused signage and wallbays. Updates include key airhubs in the US, Paraguay and Peru.
