S-peek's magnifier: Perfetti Van Melle
Story and Success of Italy’s Leading Chewing Gum and Candy Company

It has recently celebrated 78 years of history, just like another major player in the industry, Ferrero; we are talking about Perfetti Van Melle, the Italian confectionary company founded in 1946 by the Perfetti brothers with the aim of sweetening the world after World War II.
What started as a small family-run business has grown into one of Italy’s biggest multinational companies, known for filling our pockets with beloved candies and chewing gums that still bring joy to both kids and adults.
A story of sweetness, tradition, and innovation where sugar is the fuel of their corporate growth.
A Tasteful Industry
With an aggregate turnover of 179 billion euros, the food industry represents 31.8% of Italy's GDP, making it the country’s leading industry by 2023.
Despite “Made in Italy” being a globally recognized stamp of quality, in some cases, bucking the trend by opting for foreign-sounding names proved to be a winning move.
This was the case with Brooklyn, Italy's first domestically produced chewing gum, launched on the market by Perfetti in 1967 and soon renamed "the bridge chewing gum" by Italian consumers, not very familiar with English back then.
Since then, a lot has happened and today Perfetti Van Melle has grown into an Italian multinational powerhouse, with a turnover exceeding 664 million euros.
From Brooklyn to Chupa Chups
Was it all thanks to Brooklyn? Well, not entirely.
The company’s portfolio includes many iconic candies and chewing gum brands that everyone knows, but few realize are actually Italian: Big Babol, Alpenliebe, Goleador, Vigorsol, Daygum, and Tabu, to name a few.
Over the years, the company also expanded through key acquisitions. After integrating Italian brands like Golia, Gelco, and Giulia, in 2001, Perfetti took over Dutch company Van Melle, thus forming the global giant Perfetti Van Melle. Then, in 2006, the company acquired Chupa Chups for 400 million euros and, last but not least, in October 2023, they completed the acquisition of Mondelēz International, further strengthening their position in the U.S. market.
Today, Perfetti Van Melle operates 39 subsidiaries, owns 33 production facilities worldwide, and has a presence in over 150 countries.
Financials Speek: An Improved Credit Score
While the brands are widely known, the same can't be said for the company that produces them.
Despite flying somewhat under the radar in Italy, Perfetti Van Melle ranks among the world’s top confectionery producers, just behind giants like Cadbury, Wrigley’s, and Hershey.
In 2023, revenues grew by 17.5%, reaching 664 million euros, with profits of 59 million.
What really stands out, though, is the complete absence of financial debt, a rare outcome that earned the company an AA credit score in 2023, the second-highest class on the MORE Score scale.
In terms of profitability, Perfetti Van Melle appears slightly more fragile. Its ROE (Return on Equity) stands at just 5%, significantly lower than the industry average. On the other hand, the ROI (Return on Investment) ratio, which measures the profitability of the company’s core business, performs well, and the company's operating margins remain strong.
Today, Pefertti Van Melle holds 88% of the Italian market share and has celebrated this achievement on September 30th during Chewing Gum Day. Judging by the chewing gum consumption data in Italy, the future looks bright for Perfetti Van Melle — a story of ongoing success as sweet as their candies.
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