Mars PB

Source: Mars

M&M’s and Snickers have both launched nut butters

Mars is eyeing growth in spreads and sports nutrition with a slew of NPD.

The fmcg giant has created a duo of peanut butters for M&M’s and Snickers, which will roll exclusively into B&M from 17 July (rsp: £2.50/225g).

The former “brings fabulous colour, extra crunch and fun to consumers, with crushed peanut M&M’s mixed throughout the tasty spread”, said Mars. The latter contains nuts and chocolate pieces.

It comes as sales of peanut butters have surged, overtaking those of jam, according to latest figures: supermarket sales for peanut butter hit £98.9m in the past year, while sales of jam were £96.9m [IRI 52 w/e 25 April 2020].

“No longer viewed as just the perfect topping for toast, it is also a key ingredient in home baking, smoothies and of course the ideal accompaniment for an apple slice,” said Mars consumer drinks & treats GM Michelle Frost.

M&M’s, meanwhile, will also debut in sports nutrition with a duo of Hi Protein Chocolate Peanut Bars, both of which contain 15g of protein and 192 calories.

They mark the latest in a series of moves away from its traditional chocolate heartlands from Mars, which has already taken Twix into protein powders and Snickers into Hi Protein peanut bars this year.

The mults were “quickly expanding their protein bar ranges, with taste and brand trust playing vital roles in driving increased demand as health and wellbeing continues to be one of the fastest-growing trends”, said Frost.