Kum & Go's Test-and-Learn With Mars Wrigley to Kick Off in February 2020

DES MOINES, Iowa — Kum & Go LC will deploy its Test-and-Learn with Mars Wrigley U.S.'s Innovative Merchandising Incubator in February 2020.

Mars Wrigley announced the Innovative Merchandising Incubator in April, as Convenience Store News previously reported. Retailers were invited to submit their biggest challenges in the retail space. Submissions were evaluated on such criteria as national or strong regional presence, number of stores, and openness to implementing Mars Wrigley's in-store recommendations.

The custom test-and-learn for Kum & Go will offer new insight-driven merchandising solutions rooted in Mars Wrigley's deep research on shopping behavior globally and understanding of the current retail landscape, the company said.

The results of the program will be used to refine Mars Wrigley's recommendations to support customer engagement and propel in-store and in-aisle growth.

"We created the first-of-its-kind Innovative Merchandising Incubator program in April 2019 to address some of the toughest challenges retailers face when selling confections," said Shaf Lalani, vice president of strategic demand leadership at Mars Wrigley U.S. "Today, we've not only identified an impactful test-and-learn that will help Kum & Go excel, but also help other retailers overcome similar challenges in the future as new product variations continue to hit the market."

Des Moines-based Kum & Go operates nearly 400 stores in 11 states.