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The Best-Selling Confectionery Brands Worldwide
Do you have a sweet tooth? If so, you're not alone. In fact, many people love indulging in sweet treats now and then. And when it comes to confectionery brands, some stand out from the rest.
In this blog post, we will look at the best-selling confectionery brands worldwide.
Mars Wrigley Confectionery
To start things off, let's take a look at the number one confectionery brand in the world. That title goes to Mars Inc., which is best known for its Snickers, M&Ms, and Milky Way. Mars Inc. generates over $30 billion in annual revenue. The global giant started as a family business and became famous after Forrest Mars created the flagship chocolate bar. After this initial success, the brand expanded into the USA, offering some slight flavour variations to fit consumer demands. In 2008, the Mars company merged with chewing gum giant Wrigley and continues to be one of the most popular confectionery brands around.
Mondelez International
Next is Mondelez International, which owns some of the world's most popular confectionery brands. These include Cadbury, Toblerone, and Oreo. The company has over $26 billion in annual revenue and employs over 90,000 people worldwide. Mondelez was initially known as Kraft Foods Inc but rebranded in 2012 after splitting into two separate companies. This allowed the snacks and grocery divisions to have their CEO and management teams. Since its inception, Mondelez has acquired other brands - mainly within the confectionery space, which has helped them solidify their place as one of the top players in the market.
Ferrero Group
Ferrero Group is one of the largest confectionery companies globally, bringing in billions in annual revenue. The company is best known for its Nutella spread, Ferrero Rocher chocolates, and Kinder Surprise eggs. Founded in 1946 by Pietro Ferrero, the company started as a small pastry shop in Alba, Italy. After World War II ended, Pietro began producing chocolate spreads using hazelnut oil that he had leftover from making war-time rations. The product proved to be popular and soon grew into a full-fledged business. In 1969, Ferrero acquired the Tic Tac brand and continued to grow.
Hershey Co.
Hershey is perhaps the most popular chocolate in the USA, and people with a sweet tooth can enjoy a range of exciting flavour variations. Hershey's was founded back in 1894 by Milton S. Hershey. After World War II, the company snowballed as American soldiers returned home with a newfound love for chocolate, helping Hershey's become one of the most popular confectionery brands in the USA. Today, you'll find Hershey chocolates in the UK, which shows the enduring popularity of this brand. If you're not sure which to try, we recommend the Cookies and Cream bar, which is a delicious mix of white chocolate and biscuit.
Lindt & Sprungli
Swiss company Lindt & Sprungli is best known for its premium quality chocolate products. The brand was founded back in 1845 by confectioner David Sprungli-Schwarz. In 1865, his son Rudolf Lindt invented a process called conching, which helped create a smooth texture in chocolate - something still used today. This helped make Lindt one of the most famous Swiss chocolate brands, and it continues to be a favourite among consumers. With a selection of delicious truffles, including milk chocolate, dark chocolate and white chocolate, Lindt is often regarded as a luxury brand - with low prices. You'll also probably be familiar with the Lindt bunny, which is an Easter staple.
Haribo
German confectionery brand Haribo is best known for its iconic gummy bears. The company was founded in 1920 by Hans Riegel Sr. and has expanded ever since. Today, you'll find Haribo products in over 100 countries worldwide, and there are vegetarian options available too. There's no doubt that these gummy sweets are enduringly popular, and many sweet shop owners take advantage of the low prices of wholesale Haribo sweets - which always sell. Starmix is the most popular product, with adults and children worldwide enjoying the mixture of jelly and foam sweets, but the Tangfastics collection always goes down well too. Such popularity means that new products are continuously being developed, such as the chewy and fruity Maoam and Fruityfest, which focuses on more intense flavours.
Meiji Co Ltd.
Meiji Co Ltd is a Japanese company best known for its milk chocolate products. The company was founded in 1918 by Torajiro Yamauchi and is highly popular in Japan. The brand is known for its creativity, offering the infamous Meltykiss, which melts in the mouth and has exciting flavours. You can also try the Chocorooms, which have a biscuit stem and a milk chocolate cover. Meiji chocolates are popular worldwide, and the company generates over $11 billion in annual revenue.
Pladis
Surprisingly, Pladis isn't a well-known name, but it's actually one of the largest snacking brands in the UK. The giant is known for McVitie's, Flipz and BN biscuits, which are often covered in chocolate and undeniably moreish! While Pladis doesn't sell sweets, the company is renowned for its biscuits and crackers, so if you're ever feeling peckish, you know where to go.
Orion Corp
Orion is one of South Korea's most popular confectionery brands, making biscuits and candy bars. It was founded in 1956 as an export business for popular Asian food products like kimchi (pickled vegetables). Over time, Orion has expanded its range to include chocolates such as the Orion Choco Pie, which are very popular all over Asia - particularly Japan, where they're known as 'Orinpi'.