Mondelēz Worldwide, a world powerhouse in biscuits, chocolate, snack bars and desserts, is tailoring its playbook market by market. On the CAGNY (Shopper Analyst Group of New York) convention Tuesday, CEO Dirk Van de Put detailed distinct methods for North America, Europe and rising markets like China, India, Brazil and Mexico.
Core snacking classes are rising 1.4 instances sooner than different meals, he mentioned, highlighting Mondelēz’ dominance with 17% of the $128 billion biscuits market, 12.4% of the $147 billion chocolate market, 8.6% of the $20 billion snack bar market and three.9% of the $100 billion desserts and pastries market.
“About 40% of our 2025 revenues got here from high-growth rising markets rising at a [compound annual growth rate] of 13.4% during the last 5 years. On the identical time, our developed markets, primarily in Europe and North America, delivered a robust 5% income progress CAGR during the last 5 years,” Van de Put mentioned.
The snack meals big is focusing on 3% to five% long-term natural income progress, he mentioned, however Mondelēz is taking totally different approaches between North America, Europe and rising markets.
North America turnaround plans
Flat grocery basket sizes and worth unease in North America is driving Mondelēz to handle “anxious and frugal” shoppers, Van de Put mentioned.
“Many shoppers are uneasy with the present common worth ranges of snacks,” he mentioned. “US wage will increase are being outpaced by whole snack inflation. To fulfill shoppers’ want for extra affordability, we are going to considerably broaden choices on the proper worth factors.”
It plans to realize these worth factors partly by single-serve selection and membership packs discovered at warehouse retailers, he mentioned.
The corporate additionally plans to strengthen its line of premium snacks, Van de Put mentioned. He defined that Mondelēz already has invested in selling an East Coast favourite, Tate’s Bake Store cookies, advertising and marketing the portfolio throughout the nation.
Mondelēz is also scaling its premium variations of its core Oreo merchandise, he mentioned, including that customers are more and more selecting premium indulgence choices.
“For instance, premium indulgence cookies are rising 2.4% in an general flat whole cookie class,” he mentioned. “To learn from this pattern, we’re rising our investments and ambition for our premium manufacturers and ranges.”
Mondelēz is also specializing in well being and wellness with the launch of Oreo Zero Sugar and scaling of Oreo Gluten-Free, Good Thins crackers, in addition to protein bars beneath the Good Bar, Builders and Z Bar manufacturers, he mentioned.
“Development in these segments continues to outpace the broader biscuits and bars classes,” he mentioned. “Our protein-rich vary is already exhibiting wholesome double-digit progress.”
The meals big is also modernizing and increasing its provide chain capabilities in a multi-year enchancment plan that’s anticipated to begin exhibiting advantages for Mondelēz in 2027, Van de Put mentioned.
The cacao disaster and Mondelēz in Europe
The chaotic cocoa market has wreaked havoc for Mondelēz companywide, however the volatility posed the most important threat for the corporate’s enterprise in Europe, the place chocolate – anchored by its Milka and Cadbury manufacturers – accounts for roughly half of its gross sales.
Mondelēz maintains a whopping 20% of the overall European snacks market and reported internet income of $15 billion from the market in 2025, Van de Put mentioned,
The cocoa disaster, which led to cost will increase and pack resizing at Mondelēz, revealed a number of vulnerabilities for the corporate, in line with Van de Put.
The corporate is susceptible to pricing techniques amongst firms much less depending on cocoa, elevated quantity declines in choose markets and a failing technique concerning modified bundle sizes and worth factors, he mentioned.
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“To beat these challenges, we’ve got recognized 5 key strategic actions, hitting the appropriate worth factors and rising connection to our manufacturers, broadening our choices throughout chocolate segments, scaling up our premium chocolate, rising presence in under-indexed channels and strengthening resilience throughout our cocoa provide chain,” he mentioned.
Strengthening resilience within the cocoa provide chain will partly entail lowering cocoa in its merchandise by new codecs that prioritize nougat, caramel and fruit-filled tablets, he mentioned.
Mondelēz is also investing in various applied sciences together with self-cultured and fermented cocoa, in addition to plant-based options as a “strategic insurance coverage coverage,” Van de Put defined.
The cocoa insurance coverage coverage additionally contains improved crop forecasting and increasing sourcing of cocoa to Latin America.
“We’re additionally partnering with suppliers to assist transition to massive scale farming, whereas enhancing processing practices and applied sciences to get extra cocoa out of a single bean,” he mentioned.
Mondelēz’ rising markets progress engine
Mondelēz’ most promising markets lie exterior of Europe and the USA, the place the meals producer has seen its $15 billion enterprise develop 13.4% during the last 5 years, mentioned Luca Zaramella, chief monetary officer at Mondelēz.
Its high 4 rising markets by scale are China, Brazil, India and Mexico; China generates about $2 billion in annual income, adopted by Brazil at $1.8 billion and India at $1.7 billion, whereas the corporate doesn’t disclose a particular determine for Mexico.
Mondelēz is constructing a robust presence within the subsequent wave of rising progress markets, together with Southeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Western Andean Area and Central America, Zaramella mentioned.
Oreo holds about an 18% worth or quantity share of the overall biscuit class in China – not only one sub‑section – making it the best nation‑stage biscuit share Oreo has wherever on the planet.
The corporate’s three initiatives to steer quantity progress in China embody increasing availability in shops, successful digital commerce and scaling its desserts and pastries enterprise.
“There’s a significant runway as we presently cowl 3 million shops with an addressable universe of 6 million,” he mentioned, including that Mondelēz plans so as to add 60,000 shops per 12 months.
In India, Mondelēz merchandise can be found in 4.5 million shops, and like China the nation has “super runway and favorable demographics,” Zaramella mentioned.
“Our plans to drive continued progress in India focus on increasing attain of our path to market, scaling our biscuit enterprise by premium management, together with Oreo and Biscoff, and recruiting new shoppers and events with persevering with innovation led by chocolate, but in addition in biscuits and desserts and pastries,” he mentioned.
He added that the corporate’s progress in rising markets will observe the identical technique with substantial model investments that spotlight the product’s cultural relevance, key consumption events and powerful progress observe report.
“Whether or not it’s China, India, Brazil or Mexico, the outcomes of our strategic initiatives must be constant, driving deeper and digitized distribution in conventional and trendy commerce, rising model penetration to determine or additional consolidate management positions, innovating round new shopper events and constructing out multi-category scale,” he mentioned.
