Candy companies want to know: What will make Americans start chewing gum again?
Gum’s bubble burst during the COVID-19 pandemic, when masks and social distancing made bad breath less of a worry and fewer people spent on impulse purchases. The number of packages of gum sold dropped by nearly a third in the United States in 2020, according to Circana, a market research firm.
Consumer demand has picked up only slightly since then. Last year, U.S. chewing gum sales rose less than 1% to 1.2 billion units, which was still 32% fewer than in 2018. Although sales in dollars are back to pre-pandemic levels, that’s mostly due to inflation; the average pack of gum cost $2.71 last year, $1.01 more than it did in 2018, Circana said.
It’s a similar story globally. Worldwide gum sales rose 5% last year to more than $16 billion, according to market researcher Euromonitor. That was still 10% below the 2018 sales figure.
Some manufacturers are responding to the soft demand by leaving the market altogether. In 2022, Mondelez International sold its U.S., Canadian and European gum business, including brands like Trident, Bubblicious, Dentyne and Chiclets, to Amsterdam-based Perfetti Van Melle.
Chicago-based Mondelez, which makes Oreos and Cadbury chocolates, said it wanted to shift resources to brands with higher growth opportunities.
Other American confectioners are cutting slow-selling brands. Ferrera Candy Co., which is headquartered in Forest Park, Illinois, quietly ended production of Fruit Stripe and Super Bubble gums in 2022 after more than 50 years.
Chewing gum is fighting more than a virus, however, when it comes to regaining its flavor. Lynn Dornblaser, the director of innovation and insight at market research firm Mintel, said a growing number of consumers are trying to limit sugar in their diets and to eat foods with more natural ingredients. That limits the appeal of gum, since even sugar-free varieties often contain artificial sweeteners.
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