Mars Wrigley International Travel Retail (MWITR) has launched its M&M’s Experience concept, a new travel retail initiative designed to enhance the travel experience. This experience-led concept aims to create an engaging shopping environment, enabling retailers to attract more shoppers and increase average shopper spend. The M&M’s Experience concept is versatile, supporting a variety of formats, including standalone stores and shop-in-shop setups, MWITR says. The inaugural implementation of this concept, the M&M’s Experience shop-in-shop, has now opened in the duty-free area of Antalya International Airport in Turkey and is developed in collaboration with ATU Duty Free, a subsidiary of TAV Airports and Unifree Duty Free/Gebr. Heinemann. 

The M&M’s Experience concept is based on three key pillars identified through extensive research to elevate the travel journey. The Personalization and Sense of Place pillar focuses on offering customized gifting options and locally inspired "sense of place" sleeves among others, adding a personal touch to the shopping experience. The Interaction and Engagement pillar introduces gamified experiences and digital content that embodies M&M's value of More Fun Together, encouraging travelers to engage, play, and have fun. Finally, the Brand Partnerships pillar features rotating limited-edition brand collaborations that aim to resonate and deepens the connection with shoppers, particularly with Millennial and Gen Z travelers. 

”Millennials and Gen Z travelers, who now make up 42% of total global passengers, are looking for more than just products; they want experiences,” says An De Volder, market director at Mars Wrigley International Travel Retail. “The M&M’s Experience concept delivers exactly that: a memorable retail moment that surprises travelers at just the right time. This audience is more impulse- and experience-driven, and we aim to meet their needs with the right offer, at the right moment, at the right price.”

The opening of the M&M’s Experience shop-in-shop in Antalya is the result of a longstanding partnership between MWITR, Gebr. Heinemann, and ATU Duty Free, combining their expertise and commitment to transforming travel retail locations into revenue-generating spaces. Antalya Airport, the largest holiday gateway in the Mediterranean, recently more than doubled its terminal and airside capacity with an EUR 850 million ($1 billion USD) investment, introducing a brand-new passenger experience. Operated by TAV Airports and Fraport joint-venture, Antalya Airport welcomed 38 million passengers last year, the highest in its history. This shop-in-shop presents a unique opportunity to engage a variety of shoppers, capitalizing on the airport’s bustling activity.  

“We are grateful to our partner Gebr. Heinemann and ATU Duty Free for their support in making the M&M’s Experience shop-in-shop in Antalya a reality,” adds De Volder. “The opening marks a significant milestone, driven by a shared strategic vision to transform travel time into valuable time and a collaborative approach to reimagining the airport retail experience. Together, we want to demonstrate how experience-led travel retail can inspire and engage travelers, but also increase conversion and footfall in the snacking category by creating memorable shopper and brand experiences with M&M’s. The Antalya shop-in-shop is just the beginning; we have more exciting plans and openings happening in the future that will evolve the confectionery shopping experience in ITR.”  

At the Antalya location, MWITR, Gebr. Heinemann, and ATU Duty Free worked closely on the execution and layout, bringing the M&M’s Experience concept to life through its three key elements. The design accounted for traveler traffic flow, with features like a Personalization display and Playhub, strategically placed at high-visibility hotspots to attract travelers into the space. The Playhub includes an interactive digital multiplayer game, aiming to add an engaging and fun layer to the overall experience.

Positioned at the center of the shop-in-shop, the brand collaboration display aims to draw attention to the limited-edition M&M’s x Kate Spade New York collection of candy-themed leather handbags, jewelry, and accessories. The collaboration brings together two brands and connects the world of candy and fashion. These rotating brand partnerships are part of Mars Wrigley’s strategy to collaborate with brands to deliver unique brand experiences and a distinctive portfolio that deepens connections with consumers, it says.

Ersan Arcan, president and CEO, ATU Duty Free says: “At ATU Duty Free, we are always striving to enrich the airport retail experience and create memorable moments for travelers. This project with Gebr. Heinemann and Mars Wrigley ITR showcases how strong partnerships can bring bold, engaging concepts to life. The M&M’s Experience shop-in-shop in Antalya sets a new benchmark in interactive confectionery retail, and we’re proud to be part of a collaboration that turns innovation into commercial success.”

Ole Becker, head of buying confectionery and food at Gebr. Heinemann, shares: “The new M&M’s Experience shop-in-shop in Antalya is a great example of what can be achieved through strong collaboration and a shared vision. Together with our trusted partner ATU Duty Free and Mars Wrigley ITR, we have created a retail experience that truly resonates with travelers, inviting them to stop, explore and engage. Concepts like this don’t just enhance the customer journey; they help us turn travelers into shoppers.”

The M&M’s Experience shop-in-shop in Antalya is the first in a series of M&M’s Experience stores, launching in various formats and locations in the near future. 

Mars is on the current Candy Industry “Global Top 100 Candy Companies” list. Click here to view the current “Global Top 100” rankings.