Carambar & Co

What Carambar & Co does

Carambar & Co is a French agribusiness and confectionery company formed in 2017 through the consolidation of 11 heritage brands — Carambar, Lutti, Poulain, Krema, Michoko, Terry's, Vichy, La Pie qui Chante, Malabar, Dulciora, and Suchard — under Eurazeo ownership. Headquartered in Issy-les-Moulineaux, the company operates six production sites across France (Vichy, Saint-Genest, Strasbourg, Bondues, Issy-les-Moulineaux) and employs approximately 1,000 people. Its portfolio spans caramels, gummy candies, marshmallows, chocolate bars, chocolate spreads, chewing gum, mints, and lollipops, including health-positioned lines such as Krema Tendre Fruit (98% fruit, no added sugar, gelatin-free) and organic variants.

The company's technology centers on traditional French confectionery savoir-faire paired with natural-ingredient reformulation (gelatin-to-pectin substitution, RSPO-certified palm oil since 2020, zero-deforestation cocoa targets by end-2025) and sustainable packaging (100% recyclable plastic by 2026 with 20% volume reduction). Its proprietary R&D is anchored at the Saint-Genest site, while category-specialized factories produce at scale (Bondues: 20,000 tonnes/year of candy and 200+ product references; Strasbourg: 5,000 tonnes/year of chocolate for Suchard and Terry's). The Vichy site marks 200 years of pastille production in 2025.

Carambar & Co generates revenue through branded packaged-goods sales via mass-market French retail (Carrefour, hypermarkets, supermarkets), tobacconists, and an expanding set of QSR and coffee-chain partnerships (McDonald's, Costa Coffee in the UK), supplemented by direct-to-consumer factory boutiques and limited-edition collaborations. International expansion is concentrated in the Terry's brand (USA, Australia, Poland, Japan, plus France in 2024). The 420 million EUR revenue base is anchored by an iconic multi-generational brand portfolio, validated sustainability commitments (SBTi), and an event-driven GTM motion leveraging partnerships and limited editions.

Name

Carambar & Co

Legal name

CARAMBAR AND CO

Website

https://carambarco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Carambar & Co is a French agribusiness company that manufactures and sells branded confectionery (caramels, gummies, chocolate, spreads, mints) through 11 heritage brands including Carambar, Poulain, Terry's, and Vichy, distributed via French mass retail, QSR partnerships, and selective international expansion.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Confectionery

NAICS

Nonchocolate Confectionery Manufacturing (311340), Snack Food Manufacturing (31191)

SIC

Sugar & Confectionery Products (2060), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Chewing Gum & Mints (CRADABAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Better-for-You / Functional Snacks (Low Sugar, Keto, Probiotic, Fortified) (CRADABAM)

Keywords

• Confectionery manufacturing
• Chocolate products
• Candy brands
• French confectionery
• Sugar confectionery

Headquarters

HQ city

Issy-les-moulineaux

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Confectionery Product Sales: Carambar & Co generates revenue primarily through the manufacture and sale of confectionery products including caramels, gummy candies, marshmallows, chocolate bars, and chocolate spreads across 11 iconic French brands. Products are sold through mass retail, supermarkets, convenience stores, and specialist confectionery retailers.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Carambar & Co is a 100% French agribusiness and confectionery manufacturer that produces and sells candies, chocolates, gummies, marshmallows, spreads, and pastilles under 11 heritage brands (Carambar, Lutti, Poulain, Krema, Michoko, Terry's, Vichy, La Pie qui Chante, Malabar, Dulciora, Suchard). The company operates 6 production sites in France, runs an R&D center in Saint-Genest, and distributes its products primarily through mass-market retail, supermarkets, convenience stores, and its own factory boutiques.

Product overview

Carambar & Co is a French confectionery company formed in 2017 that serves as the French market leader in confectionery. The company operates 11 legendary brands organized as a diversified portfolio: Carambar (iconic caramel candy with humor), Lutti (fizzy and acidic candies including Pokémon-licensed products), Poulain (chocolate brand celebrating 200 years in 2025), Krema (soft fruit candies with natural ingredients, including organic and vegetarian options), Michoko (chocolate-covered cookies), Terry's (British chocolate balls, launched in France 2024), Vichy (mint pastilles celebrating 200 years), La Pie qui Chante (chewy candies and gum), Malabar (colorful fruity gum), Dulciora, and Suchard (chocolate including the famous Rocher). The product portfolio spans caramel bars, marshmallows, lollipops, spreads, organic and vegetarian candies, seasonal/limited editions, and licensed products. The company operates 6 production sites in France (Vichy, Saint-Genest, Issy-les-Moulineaux, Strasbourg, Bondues) with approximately 1,000 employees and generates 420 million euros in revenue.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Carambar: Iconic French caramel candy brand known for jokes in every wrapper, celebrating 70 years in 2024
• Lutti
• Poulain
• Krema
• Michoko
• Terry's
• Vichy
• La Pie qui Chante
• Malabar
• Dulciora
• Suchard

Products and services

• Carambar

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of cocoa and palm oil from zero-deforestation agriculture by end of 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered notable, core and minor.

• McDonald'snotableGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 December 2024Terry's (a Carambar & Co brand) partnered with McDonald's to launch limited-time festive products across over 4,000 UK locations during the 2024 holiday season.
• Costa CoffeenotableGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 December 2024Terry's partnered with Costa Coffee to launch limited-time products across over 4,000 UK locations during the 2024 festive season.
• Too Good To GocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarambar & Co signed the Too Good To Go Pact on Consumption Dates to fight food waste, joining 56 other signatories. The company committed to explaining date labels on packaging to reduce the 20% of household food waste attributable to misunderstood date labels.
• Terra Isara / Cacao ForestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarambar & Co joined the Cacao Forest program initiated by Terra Isara in 2021 to develop sustainable cocoa cultivation through agroforestry practices, providing financial support and contributing to research for sustainable cocoa farming models in the Dominican Republic.
• Vichy DestinationsnotableGTM or Marketing PartnerCarambar & Co supports the Vichy Pétille immersive cabaret show as a partner of Vichy Destinations. The show runs for 13 performances from April to November 2025 at the Palais des Congrès in Vichy, with pastilles distributed to audience members.
• SolaryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLutti became Official Partner of Solary, a leading French esports team, founded in 2017 with over 4 million followers. The partnership is based on three pillars: Fun, Conviviality, and Dream, under the 'So Lutti' brand.
• Renaud SauzeddeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVichy collaborated with artist Renaud Sauzedde to develop two limited-edition bags (125g and 230g) celebrating 200 years of Vichy pastilles, with an exclusive art deco-inspired design.
• Fédération Nationale des Sapeurs-Pompiers de France (FNSPF)notableGTM or Marketing PartnerCarambar partnered with FNSPF for the Carahéros campaign, featuring fire safety tips in Carambar wrappers and a XXL fire truck tour in hypermarkets across France from June to September 2025, with a grand prize draw.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Mondelez International: Mondelez (Cadbury, Toblerone, Milka, Côte d'Or) competes with Carambar & Co across the chocolate tablet and confectionery bar categories. The acquisition of Carambar & Co's predecessor brands from Kraft historically created today's competitive landscape; Mondelez's scale and trade-spend advantage make it the primary chocolate incumbent.
• Lindt & Sprüngli: Lindt (Lindor, Excellence, Lindt Gold Bunny) operates as a premium chocolate incumbent competing in the same French chocolate-tablet and seasonal-gifting occasions as Poulain and Terry's, particularly during Easter and Christmas.
• Hershey: Hershey (Hershey's, Reese's, Kisses) is a North American chocolate and confectionery incumbent with growing international presence. While less directly overlapping in France, Hershey represents the global benchmark for branded chocolate scale and confectionery portfolio management relevant to Carambar & Co's expansion ambitions.
• Ferrero: Ferrero (Rocher, Kinder, Nutella, Tic Tac) directly overlaps with Suchard's Rocher production at Carambar & Co's Strasbourg factory and competes in chocolate spreads, pralines, and seasonal gifting — a key competitor for Terry's and Poulain at retail.
• Mars Wrigley: Mars Wrigley (M&M's, Snickers, Skittles, Maltesers, Wrigley's gum) is a global confectionery giant with deep French distribution. Carambar & Co competes across chocolate, sugar confectionery, and chewing gum categories — overlapping with Malabar (gum) and Poulain/Terry's (chocolate). Mars's scale dwarfs Carambar & Co's €420M revenue.
• Nestlé Confectionery: Nestlé's confectionery division (KitKat, Smarties, Aero, Cailler) competes with Poulain tablets and Terry's chocolate balls in both French and Swiss markets. Nestlé's global distribution and co-manufacturing capability set the benchmark for scale in adjacent chocolate categories.

Direct peers

• Haribo: Haribo is the global leader in gummy and chewy confectionery (Goldbears, Starmix) and Carambar & Co's most direct competitor in French candy aisles through brands like Lutti (fizzy/acidic chews) and Krema (soft fruit candies). Both companies compete head-to-head in the French mass-market gummy/candy segment.
• Perfetti Van Melle: Perfetti Van Melle (Mentos, Chupa Chups, Fruittella, Smint) competes with Carambar & Co in mints (Vichy pastilles), chewing gum (Malabar), and chewy candies (Lutti). Strong overlap in French and European mass retail confectionery aisles.
• Cémoi: Cémoi is a leading French chocolate manufacturer producing tablets, pralines, and seasonal products for retail and private label. As a French-rooted chocolate competitor with similar heritage positioning, Cémoi is a direct peer to Poulain, Terry's, and Suchard at French mass retail.

Emerging players

• Cloetta: Cloetta is a Nordic-origin confectionery company (Kexchoklad, Plopp, Jellybeans) with comparable portfolio of heritage sugar confectionery brands and similar size (~SEK 8B / ~€700M revenue). Relevant comparable for portfolio consolidation strategy and European mid-cap confectionery valuation benchmarks.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@terryschocolatefr

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Carambar & Co