Mars Wrigley is expanding its Christmas confectionery range with three new products for the 2026 festive season, targeting untapped shopper groups and encouraging earlier seasonal purchases.
The confectionery giant said the launches are designed to appeal to early festive shoppers, male consumers and white chocolate fans, helping retailers maximise sales throughout the Christmas trading period.
Leading the range is Crispy M&M's Mini Santas, a new small sharing bag featuring crispy, creamy Santa-shaped pieces. The launch builds on last year's introduction of the Crispy M&M's Santa single self-eat format and aims to drive impulse purchases during the early festive period.
Mars Wrigley said the addition follows its position as the fastest-growing manufacturer in singles and small sharing during Christmas 2025.
Snickers & Friends Selection BoxPhoto: Handout
The company is also entering the selection box category with the Snickers & Friends Selection Box, its first Snickers-led gifting proposition. Featuring SNICKERS, TWIX, MARS and SNICKERS Creamy Duo bars, the product has been developed to attract male shoppers, who are currently under-represented in the selection box segment.
Mars Wrigley said the launch is intended to recruit new consumers rather than compete with its existing selection box range, creating an additional revenue opportunity during December, the biggest month for seasonal confectionery sales.
Completing the line-up is the MALTESERS White Box, the brand's second entry into the everyday boxed confectionery category. Aimed at shoppers under 35 who over-index in white chocolate, the new product is designed to broaden the appeal of the UK's number one everyday boxed confectionery brand.
MALTESERS White BoxPhoto: Handout
The launches follow a strong Christmas 2025 for Mars Wrigley, when it said it was the only manufacturer to grow both value sales, up 4.2 per cent, and volume, up 0.9 per cent, outperforming the wider seasonal confectionery market, where value sales increased by just 0.6 per cent.
Steve Waters, seasonal senior brand manager at Mars Wrigley, said the company had developed the range to reflect changing shopper behaviours and create excitement throughout the festive season.
“Christmas remains a calendar highlight for many, and consumers will invest in creating memorable occasions,” he said. “Our launches have been designed to add excitement to the fixture, combining affordable indulgence with trusted flavours and formats to meet the needs of today's value-conscious shoppers.”
Waters added that all three products will be supported by dedicated in-store displays from the start of the season, rather than only in the final weeks before Christmas, to improve visibility and encourage early purchases.