At the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) annual show in Chicago, Mars Wrigley Confectionery US  shared insights for retailers from its recently announced "Omnichannel" category approach in addition to introducing new products and line extensions. Top new products featured at the show included: Alert™ Caffeine Gum, EXTRA® Chewy Mints, SKITTLES® and STARBURST® Sweet Heat, DOVE® Chocolate-Covered Dusted Nuts, and SNICKERS® Peanut Butter Crisper.

Additional new items from Mars Wrigley Confectionery include:

• 5™ Gum introduces 99-cent 8-stick packs, available exclusively during the 2018 Truth or Dare program: For the 5th straight year, 5™ Gum Truth or Dare is back to help bring teens and young adults back to the gum category. 

For the first time, 5™ Gum is bringing a new $0.99 pack available exclusively as part of 2018 Truth or Dare prepacked displays. Available flavors include New Cool Mint, Cool Berry, and Smooth Mint. 
(September – December 2017, $0.99)

• Alert™ Energy Gum gives adults an innovative, simple and portable alternative to energy drinks, coffee and soda. One piece of Alert Caffeine Gum provides 40mg of caffeine, about the same amount as half a cup of coffee. Alert is available in Fruit or Mint flavors and can be purchased at retailers nationwide. 
(September 2017, $2.49)

• COMBOS® Honey Sriracha is a flavor combination that delivers a well-balanced, sweet honey with garlic and chili pepper Sriracha flavor. 
(December 2017, $1.38)

• DOVE® Chocolate-Covered Dusted Nuts will debut in 2017, featuring three variants within our dusted nut collection, including cashews dipped in milk chocolate dusted with sea salt, almonds dipped in dark chocolate dusted with cinnamon and cashews dipped in dark chocolate dusted with cocoa. 
(December 2017)

• EXTRA® Chewy Mints is extending into the Mints category with the launch of new EXTRA Chewy Mints in two flavors: Peppermint and Polar Ice. EXTRA Chewy Mints are chewable, sugar mints packed with all the flavor and freshening power of EXTRA. Each mint has a thin crispy outer shell and a chewy freshening core that delivers an instant rush of flavor and freshness. 
(December 2017, 1.5-ounce durable plastic pack $2.19, and 7.5-ounce pegged stand-up bag $6.99)

• goodnessKNOWS® will be expanding beyond the traditional fruit and nut line adding six new flavors to the line-up in 2018. These savory new flavor combinations are the perfect balance of sweet and salty. With less than 150 calories per single pack, each flavor is designed to provide 10–15% of a consumer's recommended nutrient needs, without having to worry about added calories, added sugars or sodium. The six new flavors include: Peanut Butter Crunch, Nut & Sea Salt, Maple Cinnamon & Almond, Honey Almond Bourbon Vanilla, Mocha & Almond, and Oats Raisins & Almond

• JUICY FRUIT® Collisions is bringing the power of 2-Flavors-in-1 to stick gum in 2018. With 2 flavors colliding in every stick, the product is available in Strawberry Watermelon and Tropical Berry flavor collisions. 
(May 2018, $1.19 in 15-stick single-serve pack, $2.69 in a multipack with three 15-stick single serve packs)

• JUICY FRUIT® Mixies is debuting with four fruity flavors in each bottle containing a mix of Original, Strawberry, Watermelon and Grape flavors. 
(December 2017, 15-piece single serve bottle $1.49, and a 40-piece bottle $3.49)

• SNICKERS® Peanut Butter Crisper is a new offering debuting in December that provides a balance of sweet, salty, creamy and crispy. The satisfaction of real peanut butter with the crunch of crisp, it comes in four portionable squares. 
(December 2017)

• SNICKERS® Hunger Bars will debut three new flavors in 2018 for a limited time as part of the Hunger Bars promotion. Varieties include SNICKERS® Espresso, Fiery, or Salty & Sweet. Each flavor has a hunger symptom on the outside of the packaging that relates to the flavor of the bar – Espresso: Irritable; Salty & Sweet: Indecisive; Fiery: Wimpy.

• SNICKERS® Brand 2017 NFL® Hunger Bars will hit shelves this NFL season as an extension of the popular "Who Are You When You're Hungry?" campaign. NFL-themed "symptoms" will be on the packaging of singles and share size bars. 
(June – December 2017)

• SKITTLES® Sweet Heat is spicing things up in December 2017. Each pack features fruity flavors with a spicy kick including: Fiery Watermelon, Blazin' Mango, Flamin' Orange, Sizzlin' Strawberry and Lemon Spark.
(December 2017, single pack $0.99, share size pack $1.79, laydown bag $3.19, and medium stand up pouch $2.59)

• SKITTLES® Trick Plays. Skittles is adding a fun twist to the popular football strategy with Skittles Trick Plays. NFL fans will be kept guessing when the colors on the outside of the candies don't necessarily match the flavors on the inside. Available for a limited time only, Trick Plays will be in stores just in time for the 2017 NFL season. 
($0.99)

• STARBURST® Minis Sours is building on the success of Starburst Minis Original. Each pack includes a mix of flavors including Cherry, Blue Raspberry, Watermelon and Strawberry. 
(December 2017, single pack $0.99, peg bag $2.09, and medium stand up pouch $2.59)

• STARBURST® Sweet Heat is getting a spicy new twist in December 2017. 
(December 2017, single pack $0.99, share size pack $1.79, laydown bag $3.19, and medium stand up pouch $2.59)