Market Summaries
Mars China
Key Facts
- Launched in 1914 and was active until the Second World War; relaunched as a business in 1989
- Three business segments: Wrigley, Chocolate and Petcare
- 7,500+ Associates
- Seven factories and 44 offices and sales branches
- Popular brands include SNICKERS®, M&M'S®, PEDIGREE®, WHISKAS®, ROYAL CANIN®, DOUBLEMINT®, EXTRA®, SUGUS® and SKITTLES®
MARS IN CHINA
Wrigley was our first business segment to enter China, where it began selling products in 1914, importing them from the United States and Australia. Sales were suspended at the outbreak of World War II. Wrigley resumed sales in China in 1981 in department stores in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Dalian and Xiamen.
In 1988, Wrigley began recruiting part-time merchandisers through a third-party agent and was granted a business license in 1989. Wrigley's Guangzhou factory, our first factory in China, began production in 1993. Wrigley has since grown into the largest confectionery company in China, and its products are among the widest distributed consumer goods in the country.
In 1993, Mars Foods (China) Co. Ltd. was incorporated in Beijing. We opened our first chocolate factory in Huairou, Beijing, in 1996, and the second in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province, in 2007. These two factories produce brands including SNICKERS®, M&M'S®, DOVE® and CRISPY®. We export products manufactured in China to other countries in Asia including Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong. We sell our chocolate products through hundreds of distributors and a large number of National Key Accounts.
Mars Petcare created the Chinese pet and pet food market and continues to be the market leader. We built our first pet food factory in Huairou in 1995, and ROYAL CANIN® began importing its products for sale in China that year. ROYAL CANIN'S® first Chinese factory began production in Shanghai in 2010. Other Petcare brands in China include PEDIGREE®, WHISKAS®, CESAR®, KITEKAT®, CHAPPI® and CATSAN®.
Mars China is a member of industry associations, including the China National Food Industry Association, the China Association Bakery & Confectionery Industry, the National Food Scientific and Regulatory Affairs Committee, the Chocolate Manufacturers Association, the China Cocoa Industry Association and the China National Advertiser Associations.
PRINCIPLES IN ACTION
Mars China Associates take environmental protection seriously. For more than a decade, they have been volunteering to help improve their local surroundings through environmental projects, such as "Beautify Shanghai Day," "Sorting Garbage for a Beautiful Guangzhou" and "Keep Our Environment Clean, Say Hello to the World" in key cities. We have invested more than $3 million in promoting proper gum disposal and broader environmental education.
In 2010, the Beijing Municipal Government and Capital City Greenery Commission recognized Mars China for its efforts to improve the local landscape. For example, more than 500 Mars volunteers have planted more than 2,500 trees in the "Mars Olympic Forest." Mars Chocolate China was also named an Outstanding Company for Energy Saving and Emission Reduction by the Zhejiang Jiaxing Government and was recognized by the Beijing Water Authority for reducing water consumption by 31 percent between 2008 and 2010.
We have launched our “Go Green” initiative at eight sites so far in China to raise awareness of sustainability and encourage Associates to make environmental commitments at work and at home.
When the first Mars Petcare factory opened in China in 1995, it pioneered the pet and pet food industries in the country. Since then, Mars Petcare China has led the way in successfully promoting responsible pet ownership, organizing events and lectures and supporting the revision of dog leash regulations. In 2010, Mars Petcare China became the lead board member of the first China Pet Food Manufacturer Association.
Sports and athletics are important to Mars China, and we have supported numerous local and national events, including the 11th Beijing Asian games in 1990. More recently, SNICKERS® was the Official Chocolate Provider to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
Mars China also supports underprivileged communities. As of 2010, we have donated more than $10 million to causes, such as disaster relief and education. We have donated nearly $350,000 worth of books to more than 100 schools. We also sponsor Huairou and Jiaxing primary schools to help develop teachers' professional skills. In addition, we built the first "Wrigley Hope School" in Shanxi province in 2002 and, in 2008, started the Wrigley Foundation in partnership with Give2Asia, which has helped build eight more such schools in China.
