Mars International Travel Retail (ITR) and FNA Group International are extending their partnership with the launch of a 256sq m flagship M&€™s store at Singapore Changi Airport in June.
The new store, set to open on 18 June at Terminal 2, is the third M&M’s branded store at Changi Airport. The first 40sq m store opened in October 2011 at Terminal 1, with an additional 85sq m store added in Terminal 3 in January this year.
Selling merchandise and the regular Mars ITR range, the stores offer a wide range of novelties, souvenirs, toys, candy dispensers and travel accessories. Plans are underway to extend the variety over the coming months.
The concept is driven by the belief that creating impact for the impulse shopper delivers results, said Mars.
Mars International Travel Retail General Manager Jack Tabbers said: “It’s an established fact that for the travellers who choose to shop at an airport, 70% say it’s the main source of “˜entertainment’ on this part of their journey. Therefore, shoppers are looking for inspiration and price is no longer the main driver of sales.
“Confectionery is the most impulsive category of all and therefore confrontation with this attractive category is the key to Mars ITR’s success. The confectionery category is an emotionally driven category and therefore we need to engage our shoppers. The use of our key brands such as M&M’s are best suited to do this and the results are very promising.”
The new store aims to take fun and experience to a new level, using theatre and interaction – with cameo appearances by the M&M’s characters – to engage with targeted impulse buyers.
The store will be divided into three themed areas:
1. “˜Holiday’ – where travellers will have the opportunity to take photos with Red and Yellow against backgrounds featuring Singapore’s famous skyline and landmarks.
2. “˜Travel’ – using a 3D luggage conveyor belt (for product display) in a mini airport setting with a Green stewardess and Red captain.
3. “˜At Home’ – where the store space will be dressed with home comforts with Blue seated on a sofa for travellers to be photographed alongside.
“FNA Group International and Changi Airport are great partners for us and true entrepreneurs – we share similar ambitions about the exciting potential for the confectionery category as a core footfall driver to encourage impulse shopping behaviour and we jointly belief that providing relevant theatre will result in happy consumers and travellers,” Tabbers said.
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The first M&M’s concept store opened in October 2011 at Changi T1, with a second store added in T3 in January 2012 |
“Quite simply, we believe consumers can be much more excited by the confectionery offer and that location is a key element. The high visibility of this store will stop people in their tracks and it has great potential to convert the non-shopper, especially knowing that confectionery has the highest impulse attraction of any category.”
FNA Group International CEO Paul Loo Lip Giam said: “Here at FNA we strive for excellence in everything that we do with a firm focus on creativity and innovation. The opportunity to partner with Mars ITR in the development of the M&M’s concept stores at Changi fully fits in with this ambition and we believe that by using this “˜strength-in-partnership’ we are really delivering an engaging and dynamic experience to the many chocolate lovers who pass through the stores. We look forward to the opening of the flagship store at T2 in June and the fun that M&M’s will deliver to our shoppers.”
FNA Group International is featured in the May 2012 issue of The Moodie Report Print Edition.
