Asia's first M&M'S World store officially opened Aug. 8, 2014 on East Nanjing Road, Shanghai. Photos provided by the Mars Retail Group.

M&M'S, the world's biggest chocolate brand, celebrated the grand opening of its first M&M'S World store in Asia — M&M'S World Shanghai — on vibrant East Nanjing Road.

The new store creates 130 new jobs, and the 1,600-square-meter 'retail-tainment' destination is the first in Asia — showcasing the strong growth of the M&M'Sbrand in China and throughout Asia.

Spanning two floors of colorful, chocolate fun, the store offers M&M'S Brand Chocolate Candies in 22 colors and three varieties — Milk Chocolate, Peanut and Almond — and a wide range of M&M'S merchandise, including apparel, kitchenware, plush and Shanghai- and China-themed M&M'S branded products, such as mugs, tins and T-shirts, designed specifically for the Shanghai M&M'S World store.

M&M'S World Shanghai is the fifth M&M'S World flagship store, joining the other iconic stores in Times Square, New York, Orlando, Las Vegas and Leicester Square London, which are visited by millions of people every year. 

"We are thrilled to addM&M'S World Shanghai store to our global store foot print. Shanghai is the ideal city for the first M&M'S World store in Asia, due to the city's truly global feel and appeal," says Brian Schiegg, General Manager, Mars Retail Group.

He says the locations, which is in the Brilliance Shimao International Plaza, made sense for the store, because it’s on East Nanjing Rd., one of the busiest pedestrian streets in China, and it’s highly visited tourist destination in Shanghai.

“M&M'S World Shanghai welcomes visitors to a unique retail experience that combines shopping and entertainment, with an eye-catching, iconic-looking store that engages and excites fans of the M&M'S brand from all over the world," Schiegg says.

The store combines iconic Chinese landmarks and cultural elements with M&M'S in a colorful and fun way, making it a new "must-see" destination in Shanghai for both domestic and international visitors. Visitors to the store will be greeted by popular Red and Yellow M&M'S characters standing outside the main entryway, or Kung Fu Characters – Blue and Green dressed in kung fu clothing — at the store's side entrance within the mall.

Yellow Panda in the Bamboo Garden features Yellow disguised as China's national treasure amidst bamboo stalks aglow in vibrant M&M'S colors and a lantern lit by a red M&M'S lentil.

As guests walk up the stairs to the second floor, they are greeted by a large Moon Gate that previews the Great Wall of Chocolate. Large, colorful Character Columns depicting the M&M'S characters and their signature catchphrases are also seen throughout the store. Daily performances by M&M'S characters allow visitors to engage with the life-sized characters in person.

Award-winning singer-songwriter Eason Chan celebrates the official opening of M&M'S World Shanghai — Asia's first M&M'S World store — at the Great Wall of Chocolate, which features 132 tubes of M&M'S Chocolate Candies.

The main focal point of the second floor features the Great Wall of Chocolate — the world's largest M&M'S candy wall — offering visitors an amazing photo moment and a chance to create their own customized blend of M&M'S Brand Chocolate Candies from 132 individual tubes.  Standing guard at either side of the Great Wall of Chocolate are Red and Orange dressed as Warriors.  In addition, the Lantern Garden features numerous hanging lanterns that illuminate and change colors as visitors step on the platform.

"The opening of M&M'S World Shanghai, a partnership between the M&M'S brand and Mars Retail Group, represents a significant investment and commitment to the Chinese market by Mars, Inc.,” says Clarence Mak, President, Mars Chocolate China. “We look forward to celebrating the world's most popular confectionery brand in China in a new engaging way that is guaranteed to make M&M'S World Shanghai one of the city's sweetest attractions."

In keeping with Mars' commitment to sustainability and consumers' growing interest in the subject, M&M'S World Shanghai uses sustainable materials and energy efficient fixtures and lighting.

M&M'S World Shanghai is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day.