Some may consider gum a social confection—if you’re in the company of others, you’d be remiss not to offer them a piece from your pack. Others may consider it an at-home type of candy, blowing bubbles until your heart is content. Regardless, the gum category did very well this year, both in sales and in growth.

Market data
According to Circana (Chicago) data from the past 52 weeks, ending on May 21, the gum category overall grew by 16.7%, with $3.1 billion in sales.

The sugarless gum subcategory brought in $2.7 billion of that, with an 18.3% increase in sales. Wrigley’s led the pack, with $1.2 billion in sales and a 19.4% increase, with Trident bringing in $428.5 million and experiencing a 16.1% increase. Ice Breakers brand brought in $416.9 million, with a 17.2% increase.

Others to note are the Simply Gum brand, which brought in $1 million but had a 443.8% increase in sales; and the Grenades brand, which had a modest $153,000 in sales but jumped 175.6%.

Source: Circana, Total U.S. Multi Outlet w/ C-Store (Grocery, Drug, Mass Market, Convenience, Military and Select Club & Dollar Retailers), latest 52 Weeks Ending 05-21-23

The “regular gum (no sugarless)” subcategory brought in $409.3 million, with a modest increase of 7.2%. Wrigley’s again swept the category, with $170.2 million in sales but a slight 1.3% decrease. Hubba Bubba brand brought in $76.3 in sales and experienced a 24% increase, and Dubble Bubble brand brought in $55 million with a 17.4% increase.

Looking back
“Gum is following a lot of the trends we’re seeing in the rest of the candy space,” says Allison Lefkowitz, category manager of confectionery, Nassau Candy.

“Nostalgia is big with many old-time brands making a comeback with a very warm response. Beemans, Clove, and Black Jack gums made a comeback a few years back and are still bestsellers. This year’s much anticipated gum return is Teaberry gum, with its signature berry flavor and a touch of wintergreen,” she adds.

“Gum has always been seen as a lower-calorie, better-for-you candy option. The latest trend to not only provide flavor, but support overall wellness, is taking this perception up a notch. Now consumers are looking for their gum to be functional too. We’re seeing more and more manufacturers introducing gums that offer functional ingredients like vitamins—even caffeine—along with bold flavors,” Lefkowitz expands. “We also see the potential for social media outlets like TikTok to start to inspire purchasing decisions in the gum space, particularly with gums that change the color of your tongue.”

“The big change we’re noticing over the past year, particularly in the gumball space, is that the number of players has greatly decreased, where the demand has not. There are currently only a handful of manufacturers in the space manufacturing gumballs,” Lefkowitz expands. “With the parties making a comeback, we’re seeing an increased demand for gumballs as they’re a favorite for candy buffets and candy boards.”

Mike Gilroy, vice president of trade development and sponsorship, Mars Wrigley, says that through listening to its consumers, plus research and insights, it stays current on flavor and culture trends, and looks for ways its brands can lean into consumer taste preferences and demands.

“For example, with the rise in popularity of products inspired by ‘nostalgia,’ Extra saw an opportunity to innovate on flavor. The release of Extra Gum’s Pink Lemonade taps into this trend via the love we have for this beloved summery flavor, with each refreshing bite ushering in memories of friendship, youth, and belonging,” he adds.

In addition, Mars Wrigley announced sustainable packaging with Orbit How2Recycle Label on Megapacks, and responded to shoppers’ evolving requests for a wider variety of offerings like Extra Refreshers Fruit Mix, Gilroy finishes.

Troy Widgery, founder and CEO, Liquid Core Gum Company, says that the most exciting trend for functional chewing gum is the fact that the category has turned a corner in terms of consumer awareness and understanding.

“Gummies were an exciting trend, but chewing your energy, health, or wellness with gum provides cognitive benefits that no gummy, gelcap, or beverage can deliver,” he comments.

Liquid Core recently released its first Cinnamon formula, called IGNITE, he adds.

“It's very hot, with 40 mg of caffeine and a smaller piece of gum,” Widgery exclaims. “Every Liquid Core product we develop comes from the perspective of delivering an empowering experience, creating excitement, and serving a functional purpose. We feel this is critical for the gum category to grow.”

Liquid Core recently debuted two new private-label energy gums: a 200mg/caffeine per piece marketed as a pre-workout gum, and the other an energy formula that utilizes caffeine derived from green tea instead of coffee beans.

Caron Proschan, founder and CEO, Simply Gum, says that consumers are looking for simple ingredients and more transparency.

“As a result, we're seeing growing interest in our natural, plastic-free chewing gum. We're also seeing more people embrace real sugar. After a few years of sugar-less everything, it seems like consumers are starting to get tired of ultra-processed foods and are seeking normal ingredients, sugar included,” she notes.

A significant change over the past year has been Simply Gum’s push into the conventional channel, Proschan comments.

“We started out in natural and independent stores, but over the past year, we've seen the demand for our gum grow across the country. We launched our gum at Target nationwide, and also recently expanded our footprint at Walmart. We plan to continue expanding into conventional stores in the upcoming year,” she adds.

The brand decided to tap into the trend of nostalgia with the launch of its Bubble Gum flavor this past year.

“It's such a fun flavor that's also classic. Our customers are loving it. Additionally, we introduced a new bulk-size pack of our gum for our consumers who want an even greater value,” Proschan finishes.

On the other hand, Becky Silberfarb, vice president of brand marketing for the Americas, Bazooka Candy Brands, says that sugar-free still dominates the category and grew quicker than sugared gum, and that fruity flavors continue to outpace minty flavors.

“We continue to see strength in the brand and the products. There is immense nostalgia for Bazooka. We have a strong and growing relationship with our fans on social media and have engaged fans not only through product news, but collaborations in the pop culture space, like the Bazooka Tastemakers campaign we just wrapped up,” she notes.

This year, Bazooka released a special-edition 75^th anniversary packaging with an emblem noting its 75 years in the market and also brought back its grape flavor.

Shimrit Lev, co-founder and COO, Sweet Victory Gum, says there are five trends she has been seeing in the category. They are:

1. Personalized approaches: There has been a shift towards weight loss strategies based on individual characteristics, such as body composition, metabolism, genetics, and lifestyle factors. This approach recognizes that what works for one person may not work for another.
2. Sustainable and long-term focus: Instead of promoting quick fixes or crash diets, there is a growing emphasis on sustainable and long-term weight loss solutions. This includes adopting healthy eating habits, regular physical activity, and lifestyle changes that can be maintained over time.
3. Holistic approaches: Many people are recognizing the importance of addressing the psychological, emotional, and behavioral aspects of weight loss. This involves addressing underlying issues like emotional eating, stress management, and developing a positive body image.
4. Technology and digital solutions: With the rise of smartphones and wearable devices, there has been an increase in weight loss apps, fitness trackers, and online platforms that provide guidance, tracking tools, and support for individuals trying to lose weight.
5. Health-focused mindset: Weight loss is being viewed more to improve overall health and well-being, rather than solely focusing on appearance. People are recognizing the importance of maintaining a healthy weight to reduce the risk of chronic diseases and improve quality of life.

Looking forward
Lev says Sweet Victory Gum recently introduced three new flavors: spearmint, watermelon, and bubble gum.

“The inclusion of fruit flavors, such as watermelon, can appeal to both adults and children. Fruit flavors often have a broad appeal and are popular among different age groups. This expansion enables us to target a wider audience and potentially attract more customers, including children who are particularly drawn to fruity tastes,” she explains.

“Expanding into new flavors also provides an opportunity to stretch your brand and explore new markets. By reaching out to a different target audience—such as children who enjoy bubble gum or adults who prefer spearmint—you can potentially tap into previously untapped markets and attract new customers to your brand,” Lev advises.

In addition, the brand is currently working on new technology which will enable it to develop a bigger range of functional confections.

Silberfarb says that Bazooka is expanding its footprint in the sugar-free category.

“We are creating new pack types and launching a new sugar-free gum format coming soon. We want to stay true to our classic and beloved brand, but are always looking at ways to keep things new and fresh for our consumers. While we plan to keep our original flavor and packaging as the core product, we are looking to do things like rotate in new sets of classic Bazooka Joe and the Gang comics which haven’t been seen since the 1980’s, update the digital content [consumers] can unlock with codes on [their] comics at BazookaJoe.com, and keep our fans engaged with brand new social media content and promotions,” she explains.

Craig Cuchra, vice president of marketing, Perfetti Van Melle North America, says that the company’s Mentos gum brand just released a new flavor, Strawberry, at this year’s Sweets & Snacks Expo.

“The Pure Fresh Strawberry Gum is already a big success in 58 countries. We analyzed global loyalty card data and saw that the gum is driving category growth by attracting new consumers and creating category expansion through current consumers buying this gum, in addition to other flavors,” he shares.

He predicts that berry flavors will rise this year, referencing the company’s Mentos Gum with Vitamins, available in Citrus and Berry flavors.

“Berry is a broadly appealing flavor among consumers, with berry flavors in U.S. confectionery rising,” Cuchra adds.

Lefkowitz says that Nassau Candy will be exploring flavor and shapes in the gum space in the future.

“No matter the candy type, flavor is the biggest draw for a new candy—particularly with millennials and Gen Z. Gum is traditionally minty or sweet. With sour candy having a big following, we’re experimenting with sour flavors for our future gumball rollouts,” she elaborates.

“Evolutions in gum manufacturing technologies are opening up the possibilities for new products too. Now gum isn’t confined to a ball, stick, or tape. Expect to see gum in fun shapes never before possible, like teddy bears or hamburgers,” Lefkowitz predicts.

“Packaging is another way you can expect to see innovation from Nassau Candy. While our gumballs are only available in bulk now, we’re exploring different package sizes to meet industry demand,” she finishes.

Widgery says that his brand has a customer about to launch a Liquid Core private label gum with a blend of natural caffeine and Alpha-GPC for the workout market.

“We are in the early stages of a diet gum and many new packaging formats and shapes/sizes of our liquid-center gums/technology,” he comments.

“We have waited patiently for 18 years, while doing R&D, for the consumer to start understanding and accepting functional gum. I believe we will look back and point to 2023 as the year everything changed for functional gum,” Widgery predicts. SF&WB

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