Mars Wrigley Confectionery has launched two new products for Skittles and Starburst – marking the biggest innovation in Skittles for nearly 20 years.

Skittles Chewies, which the company describes as "Skittles fruits without the shell", has a lighter texture and less intense flavour, and is expected to encourage new customers to buy the brand. The launch comes in single bags (RRP 49p) and sharing pouches and will be backed by a £1.2m media campaign, including activity on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Mars Wrigley has also launched Starburst Minis – a smaller version that is unwrapped for easier consumption – in singles (RRP 49p), £1 bags, and £1.39 family packs. Starburst Minis is already a hit with shoppers in the US, where the brand is worth $30m and is projected to increase in value to $85m by 2020.

Dan Newell, fruity confectionery portfolio director at Mars Wrigley Confectionery, said: “Having undertaken extensive research, we found that retailers and consumers alike were looking for something with an alternative texture that still retained the fruity flavours of our much-loved brands. As such, the launch represents a huge sales opportunity for retailers to keep up-to-date with the latest trends in the fruit confectionery category.”

The new additions follow Mars Wrigley's £20m premium chocolate launch for Maltesers Truffles in May.

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