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From Small Molina de Segura to the Interior of São Paulo, Fini Crossed Decades of Attempts, Opened in 2001 the Only Factory Outside of Spain, in Jundiaí, Almost Put the Operation Up for Sale in 2007 and Became Absolute Leader, with About 70% of the Market and 400 Franchises in Brazil, and Exports.
In 1998, the first products from Fini arrived in the Brazilian market through local importers, paving a path that, at the time, seemed unlikely for a brand of gelatin candy still little known here. In 1999, construction of the industrial unit began, and in 2001, it was inaugurated in Jundiaí, in the interior of São Paulo, the first and only factory outside of Spain, created to supply Brazil and export to other markets.
The curve, however, was not linear. In 2007, the Brazilian operation was put up for sale and nobody showed interest, at a time when gelatin candies were seen as expensive and out of the national habit. The turning point came with portfolio adaptation, franchises, and distribution: in 2012 the store model was born, and in 2025 Fini reached the mark of 400 franchises, with an estimated leadership of about 70% in the gelatin candies and regalis segment.
Before the Sweet: The Sequence of Missteps That Built Fini
The story of Fini begins with an entrepreneur who insisted until he found the right sector. Don Manuel Sanchez Cano, a Spaniard and son of farmers, started early in commerce and went through a list of attempts that seem like a manual of what did not work, but that turned into learning.
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He sold vegetables, set up a modest detergent factory, and tried to manufacture “perdigones,” a type of non-lethal ammunition known in Brazil as chumbinho.
Nothing prospered as expected. In the 1960s, he tried again with spices, producing oregano, pepper extracts, and other seasonings.
At the same time, the family began making tea, with a detail that gives a sense of the beginnings: production was manual, inside the house, with bags filled by his wife and children.
Even so, profitability did not come. And Manuel kept insisting.
The Turning Point: From Chewing Gum to Gelatin Candy
Still in the 1960s, Manuel moved to alcoholic beverages and named the business “Fin.” But there was a practical and cultural problem: to sell drinks in Spain, it was common to visit bars, sit with the owners, and drink together.
As he made sales alone, he often returned home drunk, and did not want his children’s future to depend on that routine.
That’s when he sought alternatives and realized that local candy factories were doing very well. He then began producing base gum for chewing gum, sold to other industries.
The big financial turnaround came when a customer offered a sizable amount to buy the formula for this base gum.
With the money, Manuel acquired his own machine to produce chewing gum, and from there, the family business grew and modernized.
This period shows the DNA that marks Fini to this day: test, fail, adjust, and bet on scalable products.
1971: The Name Becomes a Brand and the Family Joins the Game
The name of the brand that would give rise to Fini was adopted in 1971 to identify the sweets produced by the family.
The inspiration was a tribute to his wife, Dona Josefa, affectionately called Fina, and from this nickname came the name that would sign the sweets.
The scene at the beginning is almost cinematic, but it is also pure business: while Manuel and Josefa produced artisanal, the children packaged and sold by bicycle on the streets of Molina de Segura.
Over time, new products emerged alongside the gelatin candy and chewing gums, such as regalis, marshmallows, and an ever-growing range of sweets in creative shapes.
International Expansion: Europe, North America, and a Portfolio That Did Not Stop
In the early 80s, the company was already established in Spain and began to expand to other European countries. Later, the products reached North America.
The differentiation was clear: quality ingredients and fun shapes, with gelatin candies in versions such as gummy bears, little bananas, blackberries, hamburgers, sharks, stars, and kisses, as well as variations of chewing gums and regalis in various shapes.
This broad portfolio would be decisive for Brazil, but it still needed to adapt the product to the Brazilian consumer’s taste and budget.
1998 to 2001: Fini Arrives in Brazil and Decides to Manufacture Here
It was only in 1998 that the products arrived in Brazil through importers.
The growth caught the attention of Antonio Andres, the founder’s son, who visited the country and saw an obvious potential: Brazil is populous and, at the same time, a large producer of sugar, a central ingredient for sweets.
The opening of a factory in the country became a constant topic, construction started in 1999 and, in 2001, the Jundiaí unit was inaugurated as the first and only factory outside of Spain.
The mission was not only to serve Brazil: but also to export to Latin America and the United States.
In the beginning, it worked very well. With a competitive currency and low costs, about 70% of the branch’s revenue came from exports.
The Downfall: Currency, Consumption Habits, and the Near Goodbye in 2007
Then, the scenario changed. Currency instability and other factors reduced international competitiveness, the factory began to focus more on the Brazilian market, and faced resistance.
Top products in Europe did not have the same acceptance here. Gelatin candies were consumed little, seen as expensive, and the public was used to traditional, cheaper candies.
In 2007, the situation became so critical that the Brazilian subsidiary was put up for sale, but no one showed interest.
The problem was not just price. It was habit. To grow, Fini needed to get as many people as possible to try its product, while simultaneously presenting a type of candy almost unknown in the everyday national consumption.
The Turnaround in Brazil: Adaptation, Innovation, and the Product That Unlocked Everything
In the following years, Fini began to study the Brazilian public and understood that it needed to adapt flavors, formats, and distribution strategy.
In 2010, the Jundiaí factory began producing regalis, better known as tubes, filled and sugary little tubes that quickly fell into the consumer’s taste.
This product became one of the bestsellers of the brand and helped reposition Fini as accessible fun, rather than just “expensive candy.”
From then on, the brand began to have what it needed to unlock scale: the right product, repeat purchases, and constant presence at points of sale.
2012: Franchises, Kiosks, and Fini Turning Into Experience
In 2012, the company took a decisive step: it created the franchise model. Stores and kiosks began to spread across the country at an accelerated pace, occupying shopping malls, airports, bus stations, amusement parks, and high-traffic areas.
This movement had an effect that goes beyond revenue. Fini became an experience and leisure ritual, associated with outings, gifts, fun, and impulse buying.
At the same time, it strengthened direct contact with the consumer, which helped educate the market about gelatin candies.
2017 to 2020: Fini Grows with a Portfolio of 200 Products and Enters the Wellness Sector
The expansion also passed through new audiences. In 2017, the brand launched the Natural Suites line, with candies that included collagen, fiber, vitamin C, calcium, and vitamin D. The logic was to follow the aging audience, offering items for young and adults, without abandoning the children’s universe.
In 2018, the portfolio had already surpassed 200 products. During that period, lines inspired by emojis emerged and even a candy in the shape of a gas cylinder, in partnership with Ultra Gás.
In 2019, the company diversified even more: launched a line of ice creams in partnership with Froneri and debuted the Dr. Good brand for dietary supplements in gummies.
In 2020, two relevant new products arrived:
- Frutier, with candies made of plant-based gelatin, without any animal-derived ingredients
- Chocofine, uniting Belgian chocolate and gelatin candies, created specifically for stores and kiosks
This period consolidates a point: Fini does not depend on a single item, it relies on an ever-expanding portfolio.
2021: Investment of R$ 50 Million and Leap to 70% of the Market
Starting in 2021, Fini entered a phase of accelerated expansion and doubled in size in just two years. To meet demand, it invested R$ 50 million in expanding the Jundiaí factory.
At that moment, the brand already had an estimated share of about 70% of the Brazilian market for gelatin candies and regalis, consolidating itself as the absolute leader in the segment.
2023: High Reputation, Partnerships, and Viralization That Turned into Revenue
In 2023, the company achieved recognition in Brazil as a high-reputation brand, as provided for in the Industrial Property Law, which expands the protection of the name across different sectors.
In the same year, it launched a line of lip moisturizers in partnership with Cimed and reached R$ 23 million in revenue in just one month, boosted by viral videos on TikTok.
Also in 2023, the brand expanded its territory with significant partnerships:
- Colorama, with sweet-scented nail polishes
- Havaianas, with a flip-flop collection scented with strawberry, banana, and even famous dentures and little worms
- Reserva, with a children’s Halloween collection inspired by the treats
- Other collaborations that reinforced presence beyond the food sector
These actions show a marketing pattern: Fini transforms product into pop culture, taking the brand into unexpected categories.
2024 and 2025: Distribution, Franchises, and the Real Size of the Operation
In 2024, the partnership with Cimed was renewed with a line of dental gel and mouthwash in kisses and denture flavors.
The brand also formed other partnerships with companies such as Sodiê Doces, Amonim, Balduco, and Paçoquita, among others.
The recent growth was also pushed by distribution. In 2023, a partnership with the Coca-Cola system significantly expanded the brand’s presence at points of sale in Brazil.
And in 2025, came a number that summarizes the network: 400 franchises in the country, with stores offering an exclusive portfolio of over 100 products imported from Spain, available only at the network’s locations.
Why Brazil Became Fini’s Largest Market
Today, the Brazilian market is described as the largest in the world for Fini, surpassing even the Spanish operation.
And the company still sees room to grow: the average consumption in Brazil is about 350 g of gelatin candies per year, while in Europe, consumption ranges between 1.5 and 6 kg annually.
In practice, this means that the current leadership is not the ceiling; it is the floor. There is a built-in growth reserve embedded in consumption habits.
What Fini Sells Today Beyond Classic Candy
Fini maintains two factories, one in Spain and another in Brazil, exports to over 100 countries, and remains under the command of the founding family, with Manolo Sanchez, Don Manuel’s grandson, as global CEO.
The portfolio goes far beyond traditional gelatin candies. Among the lines and categories mentioned, there are:
- blackberries, worms, bananas, gummy bears, dentures, and kisses
- tubes in various versions, including tropical tubes with tangerine and peach flavors
- marshmallows with creative flavors like pistachio, sweet popcorn, and pamonha
- special editions and themed collections, including the Harry Potter universe
- seasonal items for Easter, with chocolate eggs filled with the brand’s flavors
- professional line for confectionery, with special fillings and sauces
- expansion into other categories, including school supplies, electronic items, and collectibles
What do you think was the most decisive turnaround: the production of tubes in 2010, the franchise model in 2012, or the distribution expansion that exploded Fini across Brazil?
🇧🇷🫡 … O modelo de FRANQUIAS no Brasil em 2012… 👍🍬