---
title: "The Mars Empire: Staying Private, $33 Billion in Annual Sales, and 11 Brands Worth Over $1 Billion Each"
description: "Recent news that Mondelez may acquire Hershey, potentially surpassing Mars' $33 billion in annual sales, has drawn attention to Mars, one of the first food companies to enter China and currently one of the largest. This article explores how Mars, the world's largest private company that refuses to go public, became the global leader in confectionery."
author: "New Distribution"
publisher: "New Distribution"
email: "zhaobo258@gmail.com"
telephone: "+8615854817671"
published: "2016-07-16"
language: "en"
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markdown: "https://xinjignxiao.com/en/articles/the-mars-empire-staying-private-33-billion-in-annual-sales-and-11-brands-2df77f9d.md"
original_source: "https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/F79w48fNaVRhsK6UYoyuVQ"
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# The Mars Empire: Staying Private, $33 Billion in Annual Sales, and 11 Brands Worth Over $1 Billion Each

> Recent news that Mondelez may acquire Hershey, potentially surpassing Mars' $33 billion in annual sales, has drawn attention to Mars, one of the first food companies to enter China and currently one of the largest. This article explores how Mars, the world's largest private company that refuses to go public, became the global leader in confectionery.

Recently, a piece of news has drawn our attention to Mars, one of the first food companies to enter China and currently one of the largest in the country. The news: Mondelez intends to acquire Hershey, and if successful, it could surpass Mars, which has annual sales of $33 billion. We can't help but wonder: how did Mars, one of the world's largest private companies, which insists on staying private and doesn't need to publish financial statements, become the world's number one in confectionery? Let's step into the "mysterious" Mars kingdom together.

According to the 2015 Global Top 25 Candy and Chocolate Companies ranking published by the foreign research firm Candy Industry, Mars ranks first with annual net sales exceeding $33 billion. Its brands with a market value exceeding $1 billion include Dove, Mars, M&M's, Snickers, UNCLE BEN'S, Extra, Pedigree, Whiskas, and Twix. Mars has seven factories and three innovation centers in China, covering four business divisions and five business units, including Mars Chocolate, Wrigley Gum and Candy, Mars Drinks, Mars Petcare, and Royal Canin.

**Mars Chocolate**
**Nearly 40% Market Share in China**
Mars is one of the leaders in the Chinese chocolate market. Mars began reaching out to Chinese consumers in 1990 and established its first chocolate factory in China in 1993, officially entering the Chinese market.

Currently, Mars Chocolate has over 2,000 employees in China and operates two chocolate factories, located in Huairou District, Beijing, and Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province. Products are sold throughout China and exported to many countries and regions. Major brands include Dove Chocolate, Snickers, M&M's, and Crispy Rice Chocolate. In 2014, Dove grew by 11%, and Mars' chocolate sales accounted for 39.4% of the Chinese market, ahead of Ferrero's 12.3% and Hershey's 11.9%. Mars has 11 brands with a market value exceeding $1 billion, among which chocolate products include: Snickers ($3.57 billion), M&M's ($3.49 billion), Dove ($2.6 billion), Galaxy Bar ($2.38 billion), and Crispy Rice ($1.51 billion).

In 2014, Mars Food established its first M&M's World in Asia in China, marking a new stage in the development of the M&M's brand in China. Mars Food hopes to deepen its presence in the Chinese chocolate market through the M&M's brand. It is worth noting that in the global chocolate market, M&M's always leads, but in China it has not yet entered the top three.

**Wrigley Gum & Candy**
**Covering 600 Million Consumers**
Wrigley is one of the global leaders in the confectionery industry and the world's premier gum producer and seller, with global sales exceeding $4 billion. In 1989, Wrigley established a wholly-owned enterprise in the Guangzhou Economic Development Zone. It wasn't until 1993, when the factory went into production, that the most well-known Wrigley product, "Doublemint" gum, was produced locally, marking an important step for Wrigley into emerging markets.

On November 15, 2004, Wrigley announced it would acquire Kraft Foods' confectionery business for $1.48 billion in cash, extending its business to other sugar products. The deal included Kraft's Altoids mints, LifeSavers candies, CremeSavers candies, and Trolli gummies and Sugus Swiss candies, which together accounted for 1.5% of Kraft's global revenue.

On October 6, 2008, Mars announced it would acquire Wrigley for $23 billion. Prior to that, Wrigley had registered two wholly-owned enterprises in China in 1989 and 2001: Wrigley Confectionery (China) Co., Ltd. and Wrigley Sugar (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. Currently, Wrigley has three factories in China (Guangzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone, Panyu District in Guangzhou, and Songjiang Industrial Zone in Shanghai), one Asia-Pacific Innovation Center, and 36 branch offices, with over 8,000 employees serving Wrigley China. According to statistics from SMI Management Consulting Co., Ltd., Wrigley's revenue in China from 2001 to 2012 was 900 million, 1.3 billion, 1.8 billion, 2.1 billion, 2.8 billion, 3.4 billion, 4.3 billion, 5 billion, 5.8 billion, 6.6 billion, 7.3 billion, and 7.8 billion RMB respectively, increasing year by year.

Currently, Wrigley China is the largest confectionery company in China and the largest gum manufacturer. Wrigley China's brand portfolio includes "Doublemint" gum and mints, "Extra" sugar-free gum, "5" sugar-free gum, "Dada" bubble gum, "Zhenzhibang" lollipops, "Swiss" soft candies, and "Skittles" candies.

According to data from Mars' official website, 600 million Chinese consumers have used or are using Wrigley products; the annual length of products sold could circle the Earth more than 80 times; annual tax payments exceed 2.2 billion RMB, with Doublemint gum selling 100 million boxes in China in 2004, per capita consumption of 40 pieces per year between 2012 and 2013, and a market share of 91% in 2013.

**Mars Drinks**
**Providing 1 Billion Cups of Hot Beverages Annually**
In 2014, Mars Drinks brought its patented "Single Serve System" technology, originally created by Mars in 1984, to China, aiming to create the best office environment for thousands of Chinese enterprises through delicious hot beverages. It is understood that Mars Drinks provides over 1 billion cups of hot beverages to companies worldwide each year.

Mars Drinks includes four product brands: Alta Rica ground coffee, Dove hot chocolate, trendy tea drinks Beiyoushi, and the Fina hot beverage system.

**Mars Petcare**
Mars began producing pet food in 1935, making it the world's first professional pet food manufacturer and the earliest pet food producer to enter the Chinese market. In 1995, Mars invested in building China's first pet food factory in Huairou, producing Pedigree dog food and Whiskas cat food.

**Royal Canin**
Royal Canin is committed to sustainable development globally, with over 6,200 employees in more than 90 countries. It entered the Chinese market in 1995, with its headquarters in Shanghai (as it is not within the scope of this study, Mars Petcare and Royal Canin are only briefly introduced and not included in the brand inventory below).

**Mars Brands Entering China Timeline**
- 1988: "Doublemint" gum was imported from Hong Kong and began selling in Guangdong.
- 1989: Dove chocolate entered the Chinese market.
- 1989: "Dada" bubble gum was launched in China. "Dada" bubble gum was acquired by Wrigley in 2004 after purchasing part of the products of the Spanish company Agrolimen's subsidiary, Chupa Chups, and was incorporated into Wrigley's portfolio.
- 1990: Mars first entered the Chinese market by sponsoring the Asian Games with M&M's.
- 1993: The Guangzhou factory officially went into production, starting trial production of "Doublemint" gum, and began selling in Guangdong and Fujian.
- 1993: Snickers chocolate officially entered the Chinese market.
- 1995: White and yellow Wrigley gum were launched in China.
- 1995: Skittles began selling in mainland China.
- 1996: Mars launched "Extra" sugar-free gum in Guangdong.
- 1997: Chupa Chups launched the first Zhenzhibang lollipop in China.
- 1999: "Swiss" soft candies officially launched in China, initially in cans and bags (at that time under Kraft).
- 2010: Eclipse gum began entering the Chinese market.
- 2012: "5" sugar-free gum entered the Chinese market as a brand targeting post-90s young people.

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