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Rallying gum, mint sales a priorityCompanies combat dip in digits using new flavors, ingredients and packaging

By Amanda GajdosikJune 12, 2013

There’s something about the hot months of summer that make chewing on a piece of gum or biting into amint all the more refreshing.

Even though gum and mint sales have dipped slightly in recent months, creative pushes are coming from bothmarkets to keep customers cool, calm, and collectively chewing. Products that offer multiple benefits, usenatural ingredients, serve up exotic flavors and are sold in creative packaging reflect some of the strategiescompanies are using to combat declining sales.

“I think there’s been a decrease among consumers for two reasons: the price of gum has gone up because ofthe sweeteners and formulas used, and the amount of advertising money spent on gum has declined, certainlycompared to a few years ago,” says George Stege, president of Ford Gum & Machine, Inc.

That could explain the 6.47 percent decrease in gum sales versus a year ago. According to SymphonyIRI, the$3 billion-plus in sales total is less than what was once common. The good news: the numbers are slowlycoming back up.

Sugarless gums outsell regular chewing gum by nearly four times the amount, showing consumers’preferences for gums that do double-duty. Orbit gum was first with over $444 million in sales, followed byTrident at $384 million and Wrigley’s Extra, 5 and Eclipse gums with $311, $259 and $188 million in sales,respectively.

“I see gum becoming more functional, it’s serving more of a purposethan just being an enjoying thing to eat,” continues Stege. “Xylitol isbecoming more and more common than it once was.”

The main sweetener used in sugar-free gums and mints, xylitol is beatingout sorbitol for its breath-freshening capabilities.

“We use 100 percent xylitol to sweeten our two sugar-free Glee Gumflavors because of the associated benefits for dental health, includingcavity prevention and plaque reduction,” says Molly Lederer of GleeGum. “Xylitol is a sugar alcohol found naturally in the fibers of fruits and veggies like corn, raspberries andplums.”

Naturally derived, xylitol is another way for gum and mint producers to provide customers with the naturalproducts they desire. There’s something to be said for the use of plain ol’ sugar in products too, though.

Recently, Sencha Mints has begun to make the shift from using sorbitol and xylitol in its mints to using purecane sugar.

“We find that consumers are looking at the label a little bit more,” says David Kerdoon, chief enlightenmentofficer, Sencha Mints. “It just scares off people enough that we feel pursuing a natural route, that just havingcane sugar, pure sugar, is just going to be a better thing.”

In lieu of xylitol, a mixture of green tea extract and peppermint oil give Sencha mints their refreshing power.The tea naturally kills bacteria while the peppermint oil gives the well-known cooling sensation.

Sencha also adds different herbs and spices to its products that fight bad breath with tongue-tingling flavorslike Bombay Chair and Pink Dragonfruit. Kerdoon has found that it’s imperative to find the right balance ofexotic and expected, a challenge not faced by gums.

“With gum you see more exotic flavors, but we’re one of the companiesthat push exotic-flavored mints the most,” relays Kerdoon. “When weswitched to exotic, but not so exotic, we saw a jump in sales. I thinkyou’ve got to be careful when you’re trying to think outside the flavorbox. You can push outside the limits a little bit, but if you get to exoteric,people get skeptical.”

Kerdoon posits that it might be easier for gum manufacturers to get awaywith wacky flavors, because gum is geared toward a younger generationthat is more adventurous with their candy purchases. Mints become morethan candy when packaged and marketed in a sophisticated way, makingthem perfect for adults to enjoy.

“The packaging of mints is more sophisticated and catered to adults,” says Kerdoon. “Packaging and design,plus some sort of mint oil to create a cooling effect, starts to change the product from a candy to a mint.”

Packaging plays a big role in consumers’ choices too. Recently, the well-loved Bazooka bubble gumrepackaged its products and amped up the flavors to drive purchases. Glee Gum has also seen the positives ofdifferentiated packaging.

“Smaller pack sizes are on the rise,” says Lederer. Mini Glee Gum boxes and Mini Glee Variety Packs offercustomers a plethora of products in petit portions. The products are also great for use during the holidays.

So, whether it’s a perfectly packaged piece of mint mojito gum or a tubular tin of tangy mints, customers aredrawn to natural, delicious, and (slightly) exotic flavors that pull their weight in both taste and utility.

Amanda Gajdosik is an editorial intern with Candy Industry.