Mars Retail Group expanding M&M’s store footprint — at home and abroad

Mars Retail Group is opening three new M&M’s “experiential” stores, including a 24,000-sq.-ft. flagship at Mall of America. 

In addition to Mall of America, the candy giant will open at Disney Springs, Orlando, Fla., and Berlin, Germany. Each of the three stores will celebrate the culture and spirit of the local community, both in design and merchandise. 

In addition, the new locations will feature M&M's signature store elements such as the iconic “Wall of Chocolate,” larger than life characters moments and a personalization experience that enables shoppers to create custom M&M's candies. The stores will also offer new interactive features designed to engage shoppers.

"Our aspiration will always be to bring the best of the M&M'S brand experience to our consumers in each retail location," said Patrick McIntyre, director of global retail at Mars Retail Group. "Our new stores are advancing in design and experience to create a true connection and commitment to place alongside exciting digital and analog moments. We are bringing the brand to life in an immersive way."

Here is an overview of the three new M&M'S retail stores. 
•    The expansion will kick-off with the relocation of the existing M&M's experiential store in Orlando, Fla., to Disney Springs at Walt Disney World Resort. Construction is expected to begin immediately with an anticipated 2020 opening date.

•    Following the revitalization in Orlando, M&M's will open a two-story, 24,000-sq.-ft. flagship at Mall of America. The space will feature region-specific décor that clearly distinguishes the location, paying homage to Midwest culture. The store is expected to open in late 2020, prior to the holiday season.

•    In early 2021, the brand will open its first experiential store in continental Europe, in Berlin. Located on the city's premiere shopping avenue, the decor will be inspired by the local art and beauty of Berlin.

"The future stores, strategically placed in culturally-vibrant areas where our shoppers would expect us to be, reaffirm our goal to connect with fun-seekers and chocolate enthusiasts," said McIntyre. 

Mars Retail Group worked closely with commercial real estate services and investment firm CBRE Group to identify the new retail locations.

“Mars Retail Group is forward-thinking and very intentional in creating physical M&M'S Brand experiences to the surprise and delight their customers in ways most brands are just starting to think about," said David Close, retail executive director at CBRE. "It continues to be a dream partnership as we collaborate to bring this vision to life in the most distinct and desired destinations across the globe." 

The new M&M’s stores will join the existing locations across North America, Europe, and Asia, including New York, Las Vegas, London and Shanghai.