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HACKETTSTOWN, N.J., May 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Mars Wrigley Confectionery U.S., global leader in confections, will announce its 2020 merchandising recommendations and debut new products today at the National Confectioners Association (NCA) Sweets & Snacks Expo in Chicago. Together, these insights and innovations will support retailers in driving sales and overall category growth.

"Mars Wrigley Confectionery is committed to continually updating its global research and insights to ensure its recommendations for retailers accurately reflect the ever-evolving behaviors of consumers," said Tiffany Menyhart, vice president of U.S. Category Leadership at Mars Wrigley Confectionery. "To propel retailers forward, Mars Wrigley Confectionery is offering new and never-before-seen in-store merchandising solutions. With these results-proven solutions, retailers will have the tools to create the optimal in-store experience."

Mars Wrigley Confectionery is deeply connected to consumers and invests in global research to gain insights to understand today's retail landscape. Rooted in how shoppers are using confections today and how they will in the future, the 2020 shelving guidelines integrate the moments and reasons confections are driving conversion to evolve the aisle and grow the category. In the most recent test-and-learn, these solutions resulted in an increase in sales, proving that Mars Wrigley Confectionery is providing retailers with the tools needed to create an engaging confections aisle and step into the future of retail.

Mars Wrigley Confectionery will also be debuting new products that reflect consumers' changing flavor and texture preferences at this year's expo.

"Innovation is at the heart of what we do at Mars Wrigley Confectionery and our retailers are at our core," said Tim LeBel, president of Sales at Mars Wrigley Confectionery. "We want to provide new and exciting products to enhance shoppers' experiences. Our product innovations are designed to capitalize on consumer demands and trends, such as the rise of nut butters and flavor mash-ups, which have largely influenced our product offerings."

Attendees of this year's expo can also attend the panel discussion, "How to Make Confectionery Thrive in the Digital World," hosted by Mars Wrigley Confectionery on May 22, 2019, at 11:00 a.m. CT.

For more details, retailers can contact Mars Wrigley Confectionery representatives and visit www.marspresskit.com. If you are attending the Sweets & Snacks Expo, please stop by booth 907.

The following are items that Mars Wrigley Confectionery will feature at this year's show:

• 3 MUSKETEERS® Birthday Cake: 3 MUSKETEERS® launched the brand's first new flavor in six years―Birthday Cake. The candy bar features a vanilla-flavored nougat and colorful sprinkles covered in rich milk chocolate. Birthday Cake is a growing trend, with sales increasing in the flavor more than 29 percent since 2017 and a 260 percent increase in trend engagement among millennials in the same time period
• COMBOS® Jalapeño Cheddar: COMBOS® nationally launched Jalapeño Cheddar—a consumer favorite with proven market success. The combination of cheesy goodness plus a mix of spice inside a baked tortilla shell is sure to excite consumers' taste buds
• Creamy SNICKERS®: SNICKERS^® launched new bars in January 2019 that feature everything fans love about SNICKERS^® — caramel and a milk chocolate coating — but now filled with creamy, fresh-ground nut butters including Almond Butter, Peanut Butter and Maple Almond Butter. Available nationwide in 1.4-ounce Singles, 2.8-ounce Shared and 7.7-ounce Stand Up Pouches in three varieties: Creamy SNICKERS^® Almond Butter, Creamy SNICKERS^® Peanut Butter and Creamy SNICKERS^® Maple Almond Butter
• DOVE® Chocolate Bars: The silky-smooth chocolate fans know and love just took an innovative twist — introducing DOVE® Chocolate Bars in six new bold flavors. The bars feature flavors inspired by the latest culinary trends. Raspberry Rosé, made with a layer of silky-smooth pink chocolate, is perfectly sweet with real rosé and raspberries over a layer of rich dark chocolate. Or try Salted Caramel Blonde Chocolate, featuring rich caramel and silky-smooth DOVE® Blonde Chocolate for the ultimate sweet and salty combination. These products are available nationwide 
• DOVE® Chocolate PROMISES® 4-Pack: The DOVE® brand's popular PROMISES® format now lives in the checkout aisle and gives consumers the opportunity to take this silky-smooth treat on the go and share it with others 
• DOVE® Gelato Bars: Featuring two new indulgent flavors of creamy gelato, dipped in the silky-smooth DOVE® Chocolate fans know and love. Available January 2019, line priced with DOVE® Sorbet 6-pack. DOVE® Gelato Salted Caramel bars are rich salted caramel gelato with dark chocolate and butter toffee bits. DOVE® Gelato Triple Chocolate bars are rich chocolate gelato with dark chocolate and chocolate cookie bits
• EXTRA® Refreshers: The No. 1 selling gum brand in the U.S., EXTRA^®, launched new EXTRA^® Refreshers gum. EXTRA^® Refreshers gum is a soft chew, the first-ever to be introduced by EXTRA^®, and is available in three exciting flavors, including Spearmint, Polar Ice and Tropical Mist. EXTRA^® Refreshers is now available at retailers nationwide. Available pack types include a 40-Count Bottle (MSRP $3.49) and a 9.65oz 120-Count Stand Up Pouch (MSRP $7.69)
• MILKY WAY® Fudge: MILKY WAY® Fudge is a new distractingly delicious bar made with rich chocolate, golden caramel and fudge nougat. The introduction of Milky Way® Fudge marks the newest addition to the Milky Way® lineup since the release of Milky Way® Simply Caramel in 2010
• M&M'S® Bars: M&M'S® launched its new Bars in five delicious flavors, each consisting of smooth milk chocolate and M&M'S® Minis throughout a molded tablet bar format. The combination delivers a distinctive multi-sensory taste experience. Chocolate lovers should try all five varieties: Peanut (3.9 oz.), Milk Chocolate (4.0 oz.), Crispy (3.8 oz.), Almond (3.9 oz.) and Crispy Mint (3.8 oz.)
• M&M'S® Flavor Vote: This year, M&M'S® brought back its popular Flavor Vote program, giving fans the chance to vote for its newest Peanut flavor variety and the chance to enter to win a trip around the world! The featured flavors, Thai Coconut Peanut, Mexican Jalapeño Peanut and English Toffee Peanut, are inspired by familiar tastes around the world. Voting kicked off in March and will continue through May. The winning flavor will be announced in August
• M&M'S® Hazelnut Spread Chocolate Candies: M&M'S® Hazelnut Spread Chocolate Candies is the newest M&M'S® variety and features a creamy hazelnut center, covered by delicious milk chocolate, and wrapped in the brand's signature colorful candy shell. M&M'S® Hazelnut Spread are available nationwide in Singles (1.35 oz.), Share Size (2.53 oz.) and Sharing Size Stand Up Pouch (8.3 oz.)
• New Items for Halloween 2019: SKITTLES® Zombies, M&M'S® Ghoul's Mix
• New Items for Christmas 2019: SKITTLES® Gift Jars, M&M'S® Gift Jars
• SKITTLES® Darkside: SKITTLES® Darkside^™ contains a delicious mix of mysterious, dark fruit flavors inspired by the other side of the Rainbow. SKITTLES® Darkside^™ flavors include Dark Berry, Black Cherry, Forbidden Fruit, Blood Orange and Midnight Lime. ($0.99 for a 1.76-oz. Single Pack, $1.79 for a 4-oz. Share Size, and $3.19 for a 14-oz. Laydown Bag)
• SKITTLES® Imposters: SKITTLES® Imposters will keep you guessing all summer! Each pack has fruity candies with inside flavors that don't necessarily match the outside color: Alter Ego Orange, Cryptic Citrus, Sneaky Strawberry, Undercover Apple and Raspberry Ruse        (Summer 2019, Share Size and Lay Down Bags, exclusive to Walmart)
• SKITTLES® Freeze Pop: Cool down with summer fun in a bag! Each SKITTLES® Freeze Pop pack has fruity flavors you'd typically find in freeze pops and other frozen treats, including Blue Raspberry, Lemon, Grape, Orange and Strawberry (Summer 2019, Singles, exclusive to Dollar General)
• SKITTLES® Sour Wild Berry: Made to celebrate the sour side, these SKITTLES® Sour Wild Berry packs cannot be tamed. These sour delights come in a mix of Sour Strawberry, Sour Berry Punch, Sour Wild Cherry, Sour Melon Berry and Sour Raspberry (Summer 2019, Lay Down Bags, exclusive to Dollar General)
• SNICKERS® Dark Chocolate Ice Cream Bars: Made of peanut butter-chocolate ice cream and dipped in dark chocolate. It will be the first-ever new flavor ice cream for the brand. Line priced with SNICKERS® Ice Cream Bars, available January 2019
• STARBURST® Duos: STARBURST^® introduced new STARBURST^® Duos fruit chews. STARBURST^® Duos splits two of your favorite flavors into a single chew. Starburst^® Duos fruit chews come in Strawberry Watermelon and Blue Raspberry Lemonade flavors
• TWIX® Triple Chocolate Ice Cream Bars: Made of rich & creamy chocolate ice cream, smooth caramel and crunchy chocolate cookies, surrounded by a delicious, chocolatey coating. It will be the first-ever flavor innovation for TWIX® Ice Cream brand. Line priced with TWIX® Ice Cream Bars, available January 2019
• TWIX® TRIPLE CHOCOLATE: TWIX® TRIPLE CHOCOLATE is a unique cookie experience with new chocolate cookie bars and chocolate caramel cloaked in milk chocolate for three times the chocolate goodness. Chocolate fans will love its texture and crunch. ($1.69–$1.79)

About Mars, Incorporated
Mars is a family-owned business with more than a century of history making diverse products and offering services for people and the pets people love. With almost $35 billion in sales, the company is a global business that produces some of the world's best-loved brands: M&M'S®, SNICKERS®, TWIX®, MILKY WAY®, DOVE®, PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, WHISKAS®, EXTRA®, ORBIT®, 5™, SKITTLES®, UNCLE BEN'S®, MARS DRINKS and COCOAVIA®. Mars also provides veterinary health services that include BANFIELD® Pet Hospitals, Blue Pearl®, VCA® and Pet Partners™. Headquartered in McLean, Va., Mars operates in more than 80 countries. The Mars Five Principles—Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom—inspire its more than 100,000 Associates to create value for all its partners and deliver growth they are proud of every day.

For more information about Mars, please visit www.mars.com. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.

SOURCE Mars Wrigley Confectionery