Dive Brief:
- U.S. gums sales have fallen 11% over the past four years.
- While the cause of gum's decline is not altogether clear, some believe it is due to rising popularity of other chewable sweets to clean up one's breath or offer a bit of sweetness; another possible factor is the déclassé associations with gum-chewing.
- Gum producers are trying various strategies to boost sales.
Dive Insight:
Since peaking in 2009, U.S. gum sales have fallen 11% to $3.71 billion last year, according to market researcher Euromonitor International. The decline is in marked contrast to the 10% increase in overall candy sales, to the point of $31.53 billion. Perhaps this fall in sales can be contributed to the latest generation's shrinking taste for gum: Mars identifies the largest decline in its gum to be amongst the 25 and younger set.
Strategies to get people to chew more include reminders to carry gum along with them and upgraded display racks. Another possible direction gum makers are exploring is developing a gum designed to be swallowed as well as chewed, to eliminate the sticky mess that remains after the flavor runs out. They don't, realistically, expect to get gum sales up to what they were, but they do hope to at least break the slump.