Chocolate maker Mars will bend factory in the country until 2019

Food and confectionery Division of Mars, owner of brands like Snickers, Twix and M&M's, will complete next year the works that will double the size of your factory to Guararema (SP), which also produces rice lines "Raris and Uncle Ben's. The extension of the part R $1 billion investment that the American Group – better known as arm of feed for pets, such as Royal Canin and Pedigree, Whiskas-announced to the Brazilian market between 2015 and 2020. The food industry is still a kind of startup to the group in Brazil – investment in the segment only began to accelerate from 2012, when the group set a 20 year strategy for the Brazilian market. This decision to invest here coincided with the beginning of a crisis in the national industry of chocolates. According to Euromonitor, sales by volume of the product fell 14.5% between 2012 and 2017. However, the Executive Philip Fonseca, who commands the area of foods and confectioneries of Mars in the country, claims that the company was able to grow in an adverse scenario to position itself against the traditional habits of chocolate consumption in Brazil. Instead of focusing on larger bars or boxes of candy, Mars has chosen the segment of small portions, which have lower price and are consumed in a moment of indulgence. Despite having managed to stay in positive ground – last year, their sales by volume grew 3.9%-, Mars unable, according to market sources, to seek a position of market leadership. That's because the company has a limited portfolio of a few brands. According to Euromonitor, despite the recent growth, Mars has 3.4% of the Brazilian market of chocolates. It's a very distant position of Mondelez (owner of Lacta, which owns 30.1%), Nestle (18%) and Boy (15.8%) – the merger of the two latest awaits the nod in the Administrative Council for economic Defense (Cade) for about 15 years. Mars's strategy, however, has its advantages. In recent years, the limited portfolio, according to the food and beverage consultant Adalbert Viviani, helped the company to gain visibility. "In a time of crisis, have few brands allows more hits marketing investments," says the expert. "Already the Giants had to focus on his corporate identities, because it was expensive to talk to all labels." Releases. For 2018, in the candy industry, one of the company's new investments will be in the expansion of the Skittles brand – a kind of M&M's fruit flavored. The American company will also have a new range of ready meals of rice. The goal of the company is riding on the trend of healthy eating and aliyah her proposal for practicality. The company will launch the line of preparation in two minutes-the Uncle Ben's Express-yet this month.