First European M&M's store opens in London

M&M’s, one of the world’s favourite non-Belgian chocolate brands, has opened its first European flagship store in the Leicester square area in the centre of London. If the new store, in the old Swiss Centre Building, is as successful as the three that already exist in the US, it might well become one of the major tourist attractions in London.

All colours and smells… and merchandise

The new store is 3250m² big and holds all the treats you would it expect to: The wall of Chocolate (M&M’s in 22 different colours of which you can pick your own combination), the smell of chocolate, the typically American overload of merchandising (like M&M’s clothing or jewellery)… and a tiny bit of “couleur locale”: the entrance is a Routemaster: the typical London double-decker bus.

While new in Europe, the M&M’s stores have been a tremendous success in the US. Every year, over 10 million people visit the M&M’s worlds in New York, Orlando or Las Vegas. The aim for London is 4 to 5 million visitors a year. To achieve this goal, the 170 employees will open the store from 10AM to midnight (or noon to 6 in the evening on Sundays).

M&M’s is a worldwide brand that sells in over 100 different countries and is worth 2.75 billion dollar (1.9 billion euro), making it the largest candy brand in the world. It is owned by the New Jersey based Mars Retail Group, who will probably spread the concept to other European capital if the London store proves successful.