Perfetti Van Melle (PVM) is to present new products at the upcoming Summit of the Americas exhibition in Orlando (booth 901).

A new addition to the Chupa Chups range is Fun & Friends, comprising eight mini lollipops in fox, duck and dog plush pouches. Fun & Friends is due to launch worldwide in March.

Also new is Chupa Chups Cash Till Box, for the Chupa Chups collection. This contains six assorted fruit lollipops, created specifically for the cash till point and is targeted at young adults. The Chupa Chups Cash Till Box will be rolled out in GTR next month.

Two new characters (Tiger and Panda) also join PVM’s Chupa Chups Backpack range. The plush backpacks feature 16 fruit lollipops and are available in all GTR channels.

In the meantime, PVM has gained the Snoopy license for its line of Chupa Chups markers. Snoopy joins Hello Kitty and replaces the Smurfs license. The Snoopy Marker Pack contains seven fruit lollipops, eight markers and one booklet and like the other new products will be available in GTR from next month.

STRONG CANADIAN PERFORMANCE

PVM has experienced strong sales in Canada over the past year, which is mainly due to its collaboration with distributor DFX Distributions.

Eric Vermetten, International Account Manager, PVM said: “Border store sales are on the rise thanks to the refurbishment of some stores, creating a more inviting and interesting experience for travellers. Interesting promotions, increased visibility and better assortments led to a great year in Canadian airports as well.”

In the United States, PVM has experienced excellent results in airports and border stores, where it works in collaboration with Otis McAllister. For cruise ships, the company applied findings from 2018 to its 2019 strategy and subsequently made strong progress in the channel.

In addition, PVM has intensified its partnership with TRS Latam in South America. Vermetten added: “Next to that, our South American distributor, Y. Lucas-Calcraft, is in contact with new retailers on the Brazilian side of the borders. These positive developments leave us much more optimistic about the year ahead, especially in Brazil.”

Finally, PVM will soon announce a new distribution partnership in Central America, to increase its local presence and find new customers.

“We have been working very hard at improving our in-store assortment, with extra focus on the cash till points and optimising the visibility of our brands. We very much look forward to introducing our new products and concepts at the Summit of the Americas exhibition and taking part in the various social events throughout the week,” Vermetten concluded.

Click here to read insight and analysis from PVM and other sugar confectionery players in the January edition of TRBusiness.