Chewing gum sales are in a global decline. But rising interest in “facial fitness” might see new sub-segments and startups emerge.

Has the chewing gum category bubble burst or will this emerging new trend stick?

Let’s take a deep dive into chewing gum in an episode I’m calling…

People aren’t chewing gum like they used to

In 2023, global sales of chewing gum were estimated at around $18 billion.

That’s still far below 2019 sales of almost $20 billion (according to Euromonitor).

So what factors are contributing to the decline?

A COVID jolt

It turns out, when people aren’t meeting face-to-face, fresh breath becomes less of a priority. Throw masks into the mix, and the drop in chewing gum sales during COVID makes perfect sense.

With a slow return to work, it’s likely the impacts are still being felt today.

Health conscious

Another obvious one. People are cutting back on sugar and carbs. And there’s also an increasing skepticism of ‘sugar-free’ variants with people pushing back against artificial sweeteners.

Shifting shopping habits

Most gum purchases are impulse buys at checkout. The growing rise of eCom in grocery - both delivery and click & collect - eliminates these impulse purchases. I’m sure retailers will find a way to add impulse buys into the digital checkout experience but until then, this is problematic for gum.

Environmental impact

With countries like Singapore outright banning chewing gum due to litter, there’s the notion that people are moving away from gum due to the environmental impact. I’m not sure I fully buy into this as something that would impact consumer behaviour but it sounds plausible in theory.

What is Big Candy doing in response?

It’s probably no surprise to you that most of the gum brands are owned by the multinational confectionary companies.

This segment of their portfolios has been painful these past few years. Declining sales is never OK, so you can imagine the pressure on their marketing teams to fix it.

So what are they doing?

• Mondelez sold off their gum brands for a cool $1.35 bil

• Perfetti Van Melle (Mentos & Chupa Chups) bought it, aiming to become a global leader in the space

• Hershey’s are focused on driving the nostalgia factor and are reporting growth

But the most interesting is Mars Wrigley’s investment to reinvent the category.

They are reportedly putting in $50 million in marketing spend to reinvent their flagship brands and drive growth again.

As far as redesigning established brands go - this is a great execution. Their distinctive brand assets remain intact and the brand is modernised, yet easily identifiable.

But this design upgrade alone isn’t going to move the needle.

Hence their massive investment in advertising.

They are trying to reposition chewing gum as a mindful tool for mental wellness, promoting its stress-relieving benefits.

They’ve also gone super Gen Z with their overall brand ID, clearly trying to appeal to younger demographics.

Here’s a quick look

But will growth in gum come from a more unlikely place?

This is one of those charts that says a lot with very little.

So if you’re like me, you are probably wondering wtf is mewing and why the sudden interest?

It’s one of those internet rabbit holes that sounds like a joke until you realise people are dead serious about it. A trend born out of the deep corners of social media, "mewing" involves pressing your tongue to the roof of your mouth to supposedly sharpen your jawline and improve your facial structure. Yeah, it sounds like a scam your weird cousin would try to sell you, but it’s got traction because it taps into that ever-present obsession with quick-fix beauty hacks.

And with that, comes savvy entrepreneurs and influencers who are pushing chewing gum as part of the solution.

There’s no real science to support this, but there’s growing interest in natural gum options like mastic gum that is naturally harder than commercial gum and is being promoted as a solution to sharping your jawline and improving your facial structure.

Check out this brand on Amazon - they’ve got thousands of reviews so you can only imagine the insane volume they’re selling (at a premium price point too).

The renewed interest opens doors for new businesses

With Mars spending millions to reinvent the category and a clear trend and association with beauty, there’s probably significant opportunities for startup CPG brands to break through here.

I’ve already talked about the rise of caffeinated gum in previous editions - but if we follow the trends from other functional foods like bars, I’m sure we’ll start to see brands position around the ‘beauty benefits’ of chewing gum.

And to be clear, I think it needs to be grounded in some actual science with claims that can be supported by evidence - but it’s definitely a space worth exploring given the overall conditions of this category.

What do you think about new brand opportunities in the gum category?

I’d love to hear your take - is this a category that needs innovation? Or will chewing gum simply become a thing of the past?

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