Mars opens first M&M’s World in Shanghai

Shanghai, China — Shanghai got a little sweeter recently as the first M&M’s World in Asia opened on East Nanjing Road, joining the city’s main shopping thoroughfare.

The 1,722-sq.-ft retail space sells M&M’s brand apparel and gifts, as well as the namesake candy in peanut, milk chocolate and almond in 22 colors. The location is the fifth M&M’s World worldwide.

"We are thrilled to add M&M'S World Shanghai store to our global store footprint. Shanghai is the ideal city for the first M&M'S World store in Asia, due to the city's truly global feel and appeal," Mars Retail Group GM Brian Schiegg said. "The location in the Brilliance Shimao International Plaza made perfect sense for the world's largest chocolate brand, since East Nanjing Road is one of the busiest pedestrian streets in China and a highly visited tourist destination in Shanghai.”

Several parts of the store invoke Chinese history and culture, like the Yellow Panda, which makes the yellow M&M into a panda bear, and the great wall of chocolate, which is a wall lined with M&M dispensers. Other M&M’s characters are dressed as Chinese warriors.

"The opening of M&M'S World Shanghai, a partnership between the M&M'S brand and Mars Retail Group, represents a significant investment and commitment to the Chinese market by Mars, Incorporated,” Mars Chocolate China President Clarence Mak said. “We look forward to celebrating the world's most popular confectionery brand in China in a new engaging way."