Mars expands Skittles line with launch of Skittles Pop’d  

USA -Mars has unveiled the latest addition to its Skittles range, Skittles Pop’d, which introduces a crispy, crunchy texture to the popular candy brand.  

The new freeze-dried confectionery will debut in two varieties: Original and Sour.  

The Original version features the classic Skittles flavors of strawberry, lemon, lime, orange, and grape, while the Sour variety includes new flavors such as sour lemonade, sour blue raspberry, sour strawberry, sour watermelon, and sour cherry. 

Ro Cheng, marketing vice president at Mars Wrigley North America, commented, “At Mars, we’re constantly looking for innovative ways to deliver new experiences to our fans. Skittles Pop’d trades Skittles’ traditionally chewy texture for a crispy, crunchy experience that we know our fans are really going to enjoy.” 

Skittles Pop’d will be available at select retailers across the U.S. in the coming months, with a nationwide rollout planned for early 2025.  

This marks the latest in a series of innovations for the Skittles brand, following the September 2024 launch of Skittles Littles, which offers the candy in a smaller, more poppable form. 

In August, Mars entered into a definitive agreement under which the company agreed to acquire Kellanova for US$83.50 per share in cash, for a total consideration of US$35.9 billion, including assumed net leverage.  

The deal is a bet on consumers continuing to indulge in branded snacks and comes as packaged food companies face stalling growth after years of price hikes to cover sky-rocketing inflation.  

Through the acquisition, the combined company aims to hold prices steady and not pass on costs from the deal to consumers. 

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