Mars Gum Russia: Re-igniting the Chew

1.

BRAND MANAGER ASSESSMENT · MARS WRIGLEY RUSSIA
Mars Gum Russia:
re-igniting the chew
Orbit
Everyday freshness
Eclipse
The intense kick
Key challenges, opportunities and a 12–18-month
plan for Orbit, Eclipse and 5
5
Sensory premium
September 2026

2.

CONTEXT · CATEGORY
Price-led value growth is masking volume loss
Fewer people chew gum
−4.4 pp
Share of urban Russians 16+ who chew gum (Ipsos)
30.0%
Q4 2021
+16.1%
Value growth while volume fell
−2.9% (NielsenIQ, 12M to Feb 2023)
+22.3%
Price rise in a year – top food riser;
avg pack ₽39 (Rosstat, 2023)
1,266
SKUs on shelf, +15% YoY: more
choice, fewer buyers (NielsenIQ)
25.6%
Q4 2022
2026 BACKDROP
Price-sensitive shopper, trade-down risk
6.33%
14%
6–7%
CPI, Aug 2026 (YoY)
Key rate, held 11 Sep
CBR 2026 CPI forecast
Sources: Ipsos (cities 100k+), NielsenIQ and Rosstat via RBC, Apr 2023; Rosstat and Bank of Russia via Kommersant, Sep 2026.
02

3.

CONTEXT · MARKET SHIFTS
Five shifts are breaking the impulse trigger
Self-checkout replaces the queue
Lenta: 35%+ of receipts at self-checkout, 40%+ in some stores
Grocery moves online
E-grocery +27% to ₽1.6 trn in 2025 – 5.5% of food sales (INFOLine)
Retailers push back on price
X5 paused Mars supplies, incl. Orbit, 23 Jul – 8 Sep 2025
SO WHAT
Growth won’t
come from waiting
at the till.
Rebuild the reasons to buy gum
where shoppers pay today:
Brands without paid media
Mars suspended advertising in Russia in March 2022
Challengers get bolder
Dirol X Sour launched in 2026; Chinese sweets imports ~2× YoY
Easy to find
Easy to afford
Worth chewing
Sources: Retail.ru (Lenta), Mar 2026; INFOLine, Mar 2026; RBC/Vedomosti, Jul–Sep 2025; Regnum, Mar 2022; Retail.ru, Aug 2026; GACC via Chinalogist, 2025.
03

4.

CONTEXT · CONSUMER & COMPETITION
Mint rules; Orbit and Dirol lead the fight
What urban chewers bought
Which flavours they choose
Top-5 variants, % bought in last 3 months (Ipsos, Q4 2022)
Share of gum purchases by flavour, 2025 (ATOL receipts)
Orbit White Mint
24.6%
Mint
Dirol Mint Frosty
23.7%
Other fruity
Orbit Watermelon
Mentos
Dirol Mint
21%
Bubble gum
17.3%
Watermelon
14.2%
42%
All other
13.1%
19%
10%
8%
Mondelez
Perfetti Van Melle
Local & import
Dirol · Dirol X-Fresh · Dirol X Sour (2026)
Mentos · Love is · Big Babol
Turbo · Turkish & Chinese brands
Local plant in Veliky Novgorod
Strong in rolls, teens and kids
Price-led; watch discounters & e-com
Sources: Ipsos via RBC, Apr 2023; ATOL via Retail.ru, Nov 2025 (other fruity = grape, strawberry, fruit, berry); Mondelez via Retail.ru, Aug 2026; METRO C&C assortment.
04

5.

CONTEXT · PORTFOLIO
Three brands, three distinct jobs
Orbit
Eclipse
5
Volume & penetration engine
Intensity & flavour challenger
Premium sensory, margin builder
WHO
WHO
WHO
Mass adults, everyday freshness
Young adults seeking a kick
Gen Z & young urban adults
RANGE & PRICE
RANGE & PRICE
RANGE & PRICE
13.6 g pellets ≈ ₽35 · XXL · Mega
13.6 g pellets, e.g. Ice Cherry
Sticks: 12 pcs ₽59 · 6 pcs ₽43.50
STRENGTH
STRENGTH
STRENGTH
Owns the #1 and #3 variants
Credible ‘intense freshness’
Distinctive black pack & flavours
WATCH-OUT
WATCH-OUT
WATCH-OUT
Most exposed to trade-down
Dirol X Sour targets the same need
Niche format – must earn premium
Shelf prices: magnit.ru (Orbit), fix-price.com (5), summer 2026. Variant ranking: Ipsos via RBC, 2023. Brand shares to be validated with internal NielsenIQ.
05

6.

QUESTION 1 · CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES
Every challenge opens an opportunity
CHALLENGE
1
2
3
4
5
OPPORTUNITY
Shrinking chewing base
Re-recruit with flavour news
Penetration −4.4 pp, 2021→2022 (Ipsos)
Mint 42%, bubble gum 19%; 37% enjoy unusual flavours
Affordability squeeze
Smart price-pack architecture
Price +22% YoY in 2023; CPI above 6% again in 2026
Entry packs for discounters; value multipacks & bottles
Impulse trigger is breaking
Win the new checkout
Self-checkout and online remove the queue
Self-checkout zones, pickup points, e-grocery baskets
Brands without a voice
Pack and shelf as media
No paid media since 2022; salience erodes
Limited editions, on-pack promos, collaborations
Retail & supply fragility
Clear roles + revenue management
Listing disputes; imported gum base costs
Distinct price tiers and fact-based JBPs
Sources: Ipsos, NielsenIQ, Rosstat via RBC, 2023; Rosstat, Aug 2026; ATOL, 2025; Rambler&Co × Samokat survey (n=2,057), Mar 2026; X5/Mars statements, 2025.
06

7.

QUESTION 2 · STRATEGY
One ambition, three growth pillars
AMBITION
Grow Mars Gum ahead of the category and hold #1
by making gum easy to find, easy to afford and worth chewing
1
Recruit
More chewers
2
Premiumise
More value per chewer
3
Win the shelf
Always visible, always available
• Flavour news around a mint core
• New occasions: coffee, car, desk
• Trial via e-grocery baskets
• Clear ladder: Orbit < Eclipse < 5
• Bottles & multipacks for value
• Sensory and intense innovation
• Self-checkout & pickup points
• Discounter-ready entry packs
• Marketplace content & bundles
KPI: penetration, trial 18–30
KPI: price per kg, value share
KPI: distribution, e-com share
ENABLERS
RGM & joint business plans · Shopper insight · Supply resilience · Within Mars marketing policy
07

8.

QUESTION 2 · BRAND PLANS
One job, one consumer, one price tier
POSITIONING
KEY MOVES 2026–27
SUCCESS MEASURES
Everyday freshness for
everyone
• Core mint & watermelon always on shelf
• Entry pack for discounters & trad. trade
• XXL & bottles for home, car and e-com
Penetration
Weighted distribution
Value share
Eclipse
The intense freshness kick
• Sour & ice-intense limited editions
• Own the post-coffee, post-meal moment
• Focus: c-stores, petrol, self-checkout
Rate of sale
Trial among 18–30
Intense-segment share
5
Stimulate your senses –
premium for Gen Z
• Pack-led drops & collaborations
• Marketplace bundles, premium shelf block
• Protect the price premium per piece
Price per kg
Premium-shelf share
E-com sales
Orbit
Positioning lines and initiatives are proposals to be tested with consumers and customers. Precedent for 5 collaborations: 5 × Manizha (2019).
08

9.

QUESTION 2 · ACTIVATION
Building salience without paid advertising
Pack as media
• Limited editions and flavour drops
• On-pack promos with QR codes
• Flavour voting to build engagement
E-com & quick commerce
• Content and search share on Ozon, Wildberries
• Basket add-ons with Samokat, Lavka, X5 Digital
• Bundles and multipacks built for online
The new checkout
• Clip-strips at self-checkout and pickup points
• Secondary placement near coffee & energy drinks
• Perfect-store standard for the gum fixture
Trade & revenue management
• Channel price ladders, promo ROI tracking
• Joint business plans with X5, Magnit, Fix Price
• Pricing talks built on category growth
All activity within Mars corporate guidelines for Russia. E-grocery leaders by 2025 turnover: X5 Digital, Samokat, VkusVill, Ozon Fresh, Yandex Lavka (INFOLine).
09

10.

QUESTION 2 · ROADMAP
Roadmap, KPIs and my first 90 days
Q4 2026 · first 90 days
H1 2027
H2 2027
Diagnose & quick wins
Launch & fix the shelf
Scale & premiumise
• NielsenIQ & panel deep-dive
• Store visits; fix core mint OOS
• Self-checkout pilots, 1–2 retailers
• Orbit entry pack; Eclipse sour LE
• E-grocery bundles
• Joint business plans signed
• Roll out winning pilots
• 5 collaboration drop
• Price-ladder review; 2028 plan
SCORECARD · TARGETS TO BE CALIBRATED VS INTERNAL 2026 BASELINE
Value share
Penetration
Distribution
E-com share
Price per kg
Hold #1, beat category
Stop decline, then grow
Core SKUs at self-checkout
Grow ahead of e-grocery
Plus promo ROI
Make gum easy to find, easy to afford and worth chewing.