MARS has announced the return of the Marathon bar which hasn’t been a permanent fixture on supermarket shelves for 34 years. 

But fans are still not happy with the chocolate giant, especially when it comes to the cancellation of products like the beloved Mars Planets.

What were Mars Planets?

Mars Planets were chocolate balls that contained different fillings.

The three flavours were nougat, caramel and biscuit.

The nougat and caramel flavours were reminiscent of the original Mars Bar while the biscuit added something different for lovers of the snack.

They were sold in supermarkets in snack packets and bigger sharing bags.

Why and when were Mars Planets discontinued?

Mars Planets were discontinued in 2007.

They had proved hugely popular during their time on the shelves and had only launched four years before disappearing, leaving customers devastated they wouldn’t be able to get their hands on a tasty bag of Planets anymore.

The reason for them being discontinued remains unknown.

Mars Planets aren’t the only discontinued Mars product that UK shoppers still long for.

The Mars Delight, which was a chocolate bar made of milk chocolate, caramel and wafer, was last seen in shops back in 2008.

Fans were so devastated that they started a petition in February 2017 to bring it back.

The campaign garnered support from more than 1,000 people but it wasn’t enough to inspire Mars to reintroduce the Mars Delight.

Mars Marathon bar was another fan favourite but was not officially discontinued, although the name itself disappeared.

Its name was changed to Snickers in 1990.

However, Mars Wrigley is bringing back the Marathon name for a limited time in 2024 to celebrate their 90 years of chocolate manufacturing in the UK. 

Wrigleys

Snickers were previously known as Marathon bars[/caption]

What is similar to Mars Planets?

While Mars Planets may no longer be available, there are still plenty of different ways for chocolate lovers to get their fix of Mars.

The original Mars Bar is, of course, still widely available across the UK and can be bought in single bars, multipacks, or snack sizes.

There is also the Mars Duo which features two smaller bars in one packet.

Some online retailers sell high-protein versions of Mars Bars and these come in several flavours like Salted Caramel and Raspberry Smash.

Mini Mars Bars can also be found in Celebrations boxes.

They have been a staple of the festive boxes since they launched in 1997.

Galaxy Truffles also used to be part of the selection but they were replaced by Twix in 2011.

Topics were also removed from boxes of Celebrations in 2006 and have since been discontinued completely.

If you are looking for a treat that’s similar to the size and shape of Mars Planets then Mars Revels, could be for you.

These small chocolate balls feature a wider range of flavours than Mars Planets, with flavours including orange creme, coffee, toffee and raisin.

They also have Maltesers and Galaxy Counters (which are Galaxy Minstrels without the exterior shell) as part of the selection.

Revel fans may have to wait a while to get their hands on the sweet treat, however, as there appeared to be a shortage of packets – both online and in store – in February 2024.

Mars said at the time it was experiencing issues with its supply chain after recalling packets of Revels over fears they could contain rubber balls.