Russian retail giant X5 Group has halted shipments of confectionery products from the Russian division of Mars Inc. to its Pyaterochka and Perekrestok store chains. The final deliveries were completed yesterday.
In a statement, X5’s press service said the decision to stop purchasing some Mars products was due to a mismatch between the supplier’s proposed terms and the retailer’s principles of fair pricing. The retailer has ceased buying chocolate bars, candy, dragees (M&Ms, Skittles), and chewing gum (Orbit).
According to the company, current stock levels will be sufficient for about two more months, after which store shelves will be filled with alternative brands. Mars’s Russian office confirmed the suspension of confectionery shipments.
“We regret X5’s decision,” Mars said in a statement, “but we remain committed to finding a mutually beneficial solution, as both parties share the same goal — to offer consumers quality products at affordable prices.”
In Russia, Mars manufactures and sells well-known brands such as Snickers, Twix, Bounty, Mars, Milky Way, Korovka, M&Ms, Skittles, and gum under the labels Orbit, Eclipse, Wrigley’s. The company also produces pet foods like Pedigree, Royal Canin, and Sheba at 10 plants across five Russian regions.
