Forrest Mars had to come to Spain at the height of the Civil War to see how soldiers ate sugar-coated chocolate that wouldn’t melt between their fingers to launch his famous M&M’s in the United States, in 1941. They were first sold to the army and then brought to the general market. Today these sweets are one of the emblems of the North American family company founded in Tacoma (Washington) in 1911. It is more famous than the centuries-old conglomerate that produces them.
The Mars group has an annual turnover of 55 billion dollars (more than 47 billion euros), has 150,000 employees worldwide and specializes in activities as diverse as chocolates and sweets, pre-cooked foods, even pet food products with well-known brands such as Royal Canin, Pedegree or Whiskas, and its veterinary clinics. But once the purchase of Kellanova is completed (agreed in 2024 for $36 billion and awaiting authorization from the European Commission), its revenues will be around $70 billion.
Marc Carena is the president of Mars Snacking for Europe and Eurasia, with 55 countries under his leadership accounting for 800 million consumers. The manager underlines that the company wants to become the main confectionery producer in the Old Continent. And to do this, it will invest 1,000 million euros in its 24 European factories by the end of 2026. The group, which makes 40% of its business in the candy sector (almost 20,000 million dollars, which it does not specify or break down by market), has invested 1,500 million euros in the last five years in the region. The growth of the sector is the engine of this rain of money, something that is not repeated in the United States, its first market and where the consumption of sweets is contracting. “Mars has grown in Europe by double digits every year for the last three years,” says the executive. The company’s strategy is to focus on its flagship products: M&M’s, Snickers, Twix and Orbit.
Mars’ ambition is for the confectionery business to double to $30 billion in 2030. A figure it will soon surpass after the acquisition of Kellanova, with which it will exceed $32 billion by the time of closing (it has already obtained approval from 27 regulators and is only awaiting approval from the European Commission’s competition authorities), Carena says. The president is optimistic and believes that the purchase will be completed by the end of the year. It will mark Mars’ entry into the savory snacks segment, with popular brands like Pringles. “We have a very complementary portfolio,” he points out.
For now the multinational produces in its 10 factories snacks In Europe, six million chocolates a day such as Twix or Snickers, 76 million M&M’s or Maltesers, 155 million pieces of chewing gum and four million ice cream bars. Colossal figures which we hope will continue to increase because of “a general increase in consumption snacks. “More and more consumers are opting for snacks rather than full meals,” says the director. In Europe, on average, the consumer buys around three packaged snacks a day, he points out.
Spain is no exception. “We have very ambitious plans for the country, which is also growing in double digits,” says Carena. The company has Spanish brands in its portfolio, such as Sugus sweets, Solano (which sells only in bull skin) or Boomer chewing gum. The market of snacks internal movements amount to 12 billion dollars, of which 5,000 come from confectionery. “It’s a very important market. And if we focus on chocolate, Spain is the seventh largest market in Europe and the fifth largest for chewing gum,” he says. It is in the sweets segment that they will invest the most. Next year, Mars Spain will spend 60% more on advertising in the media, especially on social networks and with the aim of reaching generation Z. To do this it will resort to collaborations with sports figures such as footballer Aitana Bonmatí.
Mars has a factory in Arévalo (Ávila); Produces pet food, mainly Whiskas and Pedigree. The group recently invested 50 million euros in its expansion and has tripled production in the last 18 months, according to Carena, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 23%, electricity consumption by 25% and water consumption by 31%, it explains. Its workforce in Spain is 2,200 people distributed across its four offices, factories, 60 veterinary clinics and two laboratories. “We are very committed to continuing to invest in the country in both pet food and confectionery,” insists Carena.
Price increase
And this despite the impact of the increase in global prices of raw materials, in particular cocoa, he continues, whose “pressure is particularly felt in products such as chocolate bars or gift boxes, in which we are not very present, and has had an effect on sales volumes”. Mars hasn’t passed on the increased costs entirely to the consumer, but has raised prices or reduced the weight of some packages, the executive acknowledges.
The company is responding to demand for healthier, lower-sugar snacks in three ways: reformulating products to reduce sugar and calories, augmenting its portfolio with healthy snacks (like Be-Kind nut bars or sugar-free gum), and making sure nutritional information is visible on the label, Carena says.
Because for this century-old company, sustainability is a fundamental issue. “We are not only interested in growing, but also in how to grow,” he underlines. In fact, management bonuses are linked to the reduction of greenhouse gases and the company’s reputation, he explains; in your case, 40% of the bonus depends on these last two indicators. “We are one of the few consumer goods companies that have managed to decouple sales growth from increasing CO2 emissions. Since 2015 we have increased our sales by 69% and reduced our emissions by 16.4%. We have managed to decouple business growth from its impact on the climate,” says Carena, who points out that all snack factories in Europe run on renewable energy and biomethane.
