Chupa Chups is a Spanish brand of lollipop and other confectionery sold in over 150 countries around the world. The brand was founded in 1958 by Enric Bernat, and is owned by the Italian-Dutch multinational corporation Perfetti Van Melle. The name of the brand comes from the Spanish verb chupar, meaning "to suck".
In the early 1950s, Enric Bernat worked for an apple jam factory called "Granja Asturias". After he broached the idea of making lollipops, the investors left. Bernat took over the company in 1958 and renamed it Chupa Chups. He built the production machines and sold a striped bonbon on a wooden stick for one peseta each.
Bernat got the idea of his lollipops from his getting sticky hands from melting sweets. Bernat felt that at that time, sweets were not designed for children. Shopkeepers were instructed to place Chupa Chups near the cash register within reach of children's hands, instead of the usual placement behind the counter.
The Chupa Chups company was a success. Within five years, Bernat's sweets were being sold at 300,000 outlets. When the candy was first created, the lolly sticks were made of wood but they switched to plastic sticks. After the end of Francoist Spain (1939–75), the self-funded private company went international. In the 1970s the lollipops appeared in Japan and Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines and Malaysia, as well as India and Australia. In the 1980s, it expanded to the European and North American markets, and in the 1990s to most Asian countries, including South Korea. In China they were manufactured by Tatagum in Panyu, near Guangzhou. As of 2003, 4 billion lollipops a year are sold to 150 countries. The company has 2,000 employees, makes 90 percent of its sales abroad, and has a turnover of €500,000,000.
In 1991, Bernat passed formal control of the company to his son Xavier. The Smint subsidiary brand/company was founded in 1994.
In July 2006, the company as a whole was acquired by the Italian group Perfetti Van Melle.
Chupa Chups can be found in various retail stores, as well as places that sell online.
They can also be seen available at front desk and reception areas of most SpringHill Suites by Marriott hotels. Displaying Chupa Chups there is part of that hotel's brand identity. They are complimentary there, and are displayed mainly in large glass bowls.
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