PEZ To Enter China's Market With New Super Mario And Hello Kitty Dispensers

Austrian candy company PEZ has been around for more than 90 years and is sold in 80 countries including the United States. Later this year, the company plans to enter the Chinese market.

The company will start its focus on brick-and-mortar stores located in bigger cities to curb the cost of shipping from e-commerce, Confectionery News reported.

PEZ will enter the market with its regular dispensers and licenses, but has announced a line of upcoming licenses for 2017. PEZ-lovers can expect the introduction of PEZmojis, Despicable Me 3, Super Mario, Nickelodeon characters, DC Super Hero Girls, Justice League, Yo-kai Watch, The Smurfs, Hello Kitty, My Little Pony, and Transformers dispensers.

In addition to entering a new market, the company is also looking to dive into healthier sweets, but that is still in the development stages, said Gabriele Hofinger, head of marketing and licensing for PEZ International.

"We have some advantages already anyway because PEZ is a small pack, it's portion-controlled, there's no fat," Hofinger said. "We have 'healthy' projects, but whether this will be under the brand 'PEZ', we are not sure – because PEZ is a treat, it's a candy."