Following years of rapid growth beginning in the mid-90’s, growth in gum and mints stalled in 2000, as the market became oversaturated with new products. On average, 189 new products were launched each year from 2000 to 2005; however, this high level of innovation only shifted market share, rather than expanding sales.

Only two segments, sugarless gum and dental/whitening gum, have continued to grow due to a combination of factors:

a healthier eating trend that led consumers to seek out lower sugar products

improvements in artificial sweeteners

growing consumer interest in functional foods (in the case of whitening gum)

innovative new products with strong marketing support

Competition in the gum and mints category continued to heat up in the last several years, as market share became more concentrated in the hands of the market leaders, Wrigley and Cadbury Schweppes. Cadbury became the number two player in the category after acquiring Adams Confectionery from Pfizer in March 2003. Wrigley has grown through a strong emphasis on product innovation--evidenced by the opening of a $45 million Global Innovation Center in 2005--as well as acquisitions aimed to build its strength in the larger confectionery market, most notably the purchase of Altoids and Lifesavers from Kraft in June 2005.

As Wrigley and Cadbury battle it out for share of the category, marketing expenditures are expected to increase, as has already happened in 2005. The rapid pace of new product introductions will likely continue, with manufacturers concentrating their efforts on offerings that are truly unique and value-added to help expand consumption.

In this report, Mintel clearly identifies the principal external factors driving or curtailing sales growth in the gum and mints market. Exclusive consumer research reveals the attitudes, needs and behavior of consumers, with analysis broken down both by demographic characteristics, and by product type. Six years of specific sales data provide a factual and impartial presentation of the market as a whole. Using the SPSS forecasting package, Mintel creates a five-year forecast of U.S. retail sales in gum and mints, revealing potential opportunities for growth and product development.

This Mintel report includes sales of the following products:

sugarless gum

regular gum

nicotine gum

dental and whitening gum

breath freshening mints and strips

candy mints

breath freshening sprays and drops

Excluded from this report are:

mouthwash

toothpaste

candy in all forms, except candy mints (for example, Lifesavers mints are included while other types of Lifesavers are excluded)