China drives revenue surge for Mondelez in 2025

Mondelez International Inc reported full-year results for 2025 with continued growth in the Chinese market, highlighting the US snack giant's commitment to the world's leading consumer market.

The company's business in China reached $2 billion in net revenue last year, with Oreo holding a leading 18 percent share of the country's biscuit market — the highest for the brand globally, according to remarks by company executives at the 2026 Consumer Analyst Group of New York Conference.

Mondelez also maintained strong positions in gum and cakes, securing second and third place, respectively, in these categories. The company covers 3 million offline retail points in the Chinese market.

Joost Vlaanderen, president of Mondelez China, said this is not only an affirmation of the company's commitment to the Chinese market, but also an encouragement for their continued development here.

"China is one of the most dynamic consumer markets globally, offering a vast stage for multinational enterprises like Mondelez," Vlaanderen said. "With its strong economic resilience, evolving consumer demand, and increasingly optimized business environment, we remain confident in China and will continue to grow alongside the Chinese economy and consumers."

Globally, Mondelez posted a 5.8 percent rise in net revenue for 2025, underpinned by 4.3 percent organic growth, with the Asia, Middle East and Africa region delivering $7.93 billion, up 8.7 percent.

To tap into China's cultural and seasonal consumption trends, Mondelez has tailored its product portfolio to local tastes. Brands including Oreo, Pacific, and TUC launched festive Chinese New Year gift boxes that blend traditional Chinese culture with creative design.

The company also expanded its core product lines with innovations such as Oreo Thins, Stride X Eastroc special beverage flavor chewing gum, and branded cakes, including Oreo Airy Cake, Oreo Double Layer Cheesecake and LU Chocolate Butter Tartlets, designed to meet evolving consumer preferences.

In 2025, the top five players in China's sweet biscuit market by revenue were Oreo, Hsu Fu Chi, Chips Ahoy, Nabati, and Danisa. Oreo's lead reflects the brand's ability to combine global recognition with localized marketing, according to Euromonitor International.

In the fourth quarter, Mondelez seized growth opportunities in the cake segment by launching the nation's first Oreo Swiss roll in a retail channel at Freshippo, the grocery retail unit of the Alibaba Group. It reportedly topped Freshippo's bakery category upon release.

During the 2026 Spring Festival, Oreo leveraged its creative concept "Twist for Good Fortune", turning its iconic twist ritual into a holiday symbol for luck. The campaign combined traditional integrated marketing with short-form drama content, broadening reach and strengthening brand affinity.

The snack maker is also investing heavily in supply chain and distribution capabilities in China. Its lighthouse factory and Beijing intelligent central distribution center are driving intelligent manufacturing, improving energy efficiency, and reducing emissions. The company is further expanding into emerging channels such as online-to-offline, dark stores, and snack chains, increasing market penetration and accessibility.

Looking ahead, Mondelez aims to drive volume-led growth in China by expanding offline distribution, strengthening social and quick commerce, and scaling up its cake portfolio through innovation and acquisitions, according to the company.

At the CAGNY Conference, CEO Dirk Van De Put emphasized the company's global and regional strategies. "Our strong foundation of consumer-loved brands and diversified global footprint gives us confidence in our ability to deliver consistent growth, resilience and returns."

Sustained investment in innovation and breakthrough activations will enable the company to reaccelerate growth and build on our winning recipe in emerging markets, he said. (source: China daily)