All Aboard the M&M’S Express

Going full steam ahead at the end of June, the colorful “M&M’S Brand Summer Pallet Train” pulled into more than 2,700 Walmart locations across the United States. Mars Retail Group (MRG) engineered the concept of the 16-foot double-sided pallet display, along with the Mars Walmart sales team and licensees SRI and CandyRific.

As well as having M&M’S chocolate candies on board, the display offered plush toys, tote bags, T-shirts, tumblers with straws, dispensers, key chains, fleece blankets, and candy novelties. As items sold, Bentonville, Ark.-based Walmart could add candy or even reduce the pallets or “train cars,” so the display stayed vibrant and inviting.

The M&M’S Brand 2011 Summer Pallet Train is the fruit of a year’s worth of planning and teamwork, and sales have surpassed expectations, according to Mount Arlington, N.J.-based MRG, which has the flexibility to work with a variety of retailers to create multifaceted, customized displays at any price point.