Three top locations are awaiting the arrival of a new tenant after Mars Retail Group opened its doors in Disney Springs in Orlando, Florida, Mall of America in Minneapolis, Minnesota and the first-ever store in Mainland Europe in Berlin, Germany.
Since the buying habits of millennials dictate the need for an experience-based shopping environment, M&M’S is prepared to bring the candy out of the aisle for a uniquely immersive experience.
With an illusory environment, larger than life characters and the brand’s usual colourful themes, M&M’S plans to incorporate the local culture of these locations and offer a personalised experience to consumers. These aren’t going to be just any run-of-the-mill stores. They will offer visitors experiences that will make their visits all the more fun and interactive.
M&M’S existing store in Orlando is to be moved to Disney Springs at the Walt Disney World Resort, the hub of family fun. Joining other top-notch retail brands, the placement of M&M’S at this resort is purely strategic. Construction will commence this year.
Mall of America is the epicentre of entertainment in Minneapolis. M&M’S will adopt interior design choices specific to the local taste, and couple it with classic attractions to engage customers. The space is to feature a photo booth where visitors can have their faces printed on M&M’S.
Patrick McIntyre, Head of Global Retail for Mars Inc., said, “Mall of America is a best in class experiential retail shopping centre and a natural partner to help us realize our vision to delight people everywhere with immersive experiences. We’re excited to layer in even more fun to what is one of the most fun one-stop shopping and entertainment destinations in the world.”
To enhance the brand’s international presence, the first experiential store in Europe is set to launch in Berlin in 2021 in Kurfürstendamm. The boulevard selected for the location is Berlin’s most well-known shopping centre, attracting large crowds on any given day. The store will integrate the local beauty of Berlin to resonate with the audience.
Since M&M’S is already a brand that most people know of, this plan to expand will ensure people get to experience M&M’S products in the best way possible. Choosing locations with high traffic, this strategic investment will pay tribute to the local culture of each community.
Patrick McIntyre states, “Our aspiration will always be to bring the best of the M&M’S Brand experience to our consumers in each retail location. Our new stores are advancing in design and experience to create a true connection and commitment to place alongside exciting digital and analogue moments. We are bringing the brand to life in an immersive way.”
With design and products customized to each location, consumers will be able to enjoy a heightened M&M’S experience. Including elements like the world’s largest wall of chocolate, occasional appearances by characters like Red, customized candies and other interactive features, M&M’S is hopeful it will successfully connect and engage with customers from different cultures.
McIntyre continued, “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. We’re bringing more than 20 years of innovation in experiential retail to these new stores and cannot wait to open our doors to a global audience who will engage with our brand like never before.”
MARS worked in collaboration with CBRE Group, Inc, a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company to identify retail locations to tap for maximum benefit. The new stores are set to join existing locations.
For further information, visit www.MMS.com.
