How Mars boosted D2C sales by 20% by turning transactions into unique experiences

Buying a Mars product through a Mars digital channel should feel special.

But Mars’ D2C commerce operations were creating transactional experiences. An IT-first setup, though robust in delivery, was constrained by systems and speed. That limited how quickly brands could test, launch and scale consumer experiences across markets.

At the same time, Mars saw an opportunity to build direct relationships with consumers through first-party data. The best way to get closer to consumers? By moving from transactional experiences to branded experiences.

Therefore, Mars needed to change from an IT-led delivery model to an experience-driven growth model where marketing, commerce and technology teams co-own the consumer relationship. This would make commerce operations faster and more agile — and make customer experiences special.

Valtech partnered with Mars to design and implement a composable commerce ecosystem that enables speed, scalability and brand differentiation.

The foundation: We consolidated fragmented systems into a single, flexible platform that supports multiple brands and markets.

Agility at scale: Through headless architecture and reusable components, Mars’ teams can launch and iterate digital storefronts faster and more consistently.

Driving consumer engagement: Personalized experiences, optimized checkout and mobile-first design created measurable improvements in conversion and loyalty.

Composable is perfect for delivering bite-sized capabilities that can be flexed or reconfigured depending on the needs of the wider business or individual brand. While we initiated it with a D2C mindset, this approach can be applied to any business model looking to get closer to the consumer, faster.

— Shubham Mehrish, VP Digital and Platforms, Mars

We brought this composable commerce platform to M&M’S first, where the customer experience is all about fun. That transformation took M&M’S shopping out of the transactional realm and created branded, emotional experiences that customers love.

We then extended the platform to Ethel M, a smaller brand where the experience is all about luxury. Because the transformation prioritized customizable technologies and collaborative ways of working, it was easy to extend the platform to Ethel M, harmonize teams and keep the experience on-brand.

This scalable ecosystem unlocked the consistency and customer experience Mars needed to launch new propositions quickly across the brand portfolio. With a composable front end, Mars has the flexibility to meet business needs and deliver excellent customer experiences across brands and markets.

We’re helping Mars accelerate their move toward a product-led operating model and continuing to transform how their teams work.