Where the Gains Are
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 29, 2013
C-store sales of gum decelerated even more in 2013, with IRI reporting a nearly 8% dip in unit sales and more than 7% drop in dollar sales. Both regular and sugarless lost ground. Nielsen figures also show a nearly 7% drop in c-store gum sales, with units down almost 6%.
Breath-freshener sales were stronger, with IRI reporting a more than 2% increase in unit sales, led by strong sales of the Ice Breakers and Altoids brands. (IRI separates brands such as Mentos and LifeSavers into a “plain mints” segment.)
Nielsen, meanwhile, pegs the unit increase for breath fresheners at 1.3%.
| Candy type | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA | Unit sales (millions) | PCYA |
| Regular gum (no sugarless) | $189.1 | -5.8% | 222.0 | -10.2% |
| Sugarless gum | $917.3 | -7.4% | 612.1 | -7.0% |
| Total gum | $1,106.3 | -7.1% | 834.2 | -7.9% |
| Breath fresheners | $216.8 | 5.7% | 126.8 | 2.1% |
| Plain mints | $78.9 | -1.5% | 69.2 | -4.9% |
Source: IRI
| C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 28, 2013 | ||||
| Sugarless | $853.0 | -7.5% | 573.6 | -5.7% |
| Regular | $168.3 | -3.0% | 190.0 | -6.7% |
| Total gum | $1,021.3 | -6.8% | 763.6 | -5.9% |
| Breath fresheners | $243.0 | -4.7% | 154.8 | 1.3% |
Source: The Nielsen Co., The Hershey Co.
Dollar Share by Flavor: Gum
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 28, 2013
The top-selling gum flavor in c-stores was mint in 2013, with fruit a distant second, according to Nielsen.
| Flavor | Dollar share | Point change |
| Mint | 67.9% | 3.3 |
| Fruit | 20.1% | -1.4 |
| Bubblegum | 5.3% | 0.4 |
| Cinnamon | 3.2% | 0.0 |
| Sour | 0.1% | 0.0 |
| All others | 3.4% | -2.3 |
Sources: The Nielsen Co., The Hershey Co.
Customer in Focus
According to Mintel research, 77% of gum, mint and breath-freshener users use this category of products to freshen breath, followed by “to get a bad taste out of my mouth.” “While flavor innovation is a strong means of attracting attention, there should always be a focus on freshening the breath,” Mintel concludes. While only 37% of users cited breath fresheners’ ability to keep them from eating food, manufacturers should still consider highlighting the category’s role in weight loss and hunger control, Mintel advises.
Gum Trends
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 28, 2013
Nine of the top 10 c-store gum brands in 2013 were sugarless varieties, led by Mondelez International’s Trident brand, and Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co.’s Orbit and Wrigley’s 5, according to Nielsen figures.
| Brands | ||||
| Brand/UPC | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA | Unit sales (millions) | PCYA |
| Trident | $162.7 | 15.1% | 116.5 | 18.2% |
| Orbit | $160.0 | 3.8% | 114.1 | 3.7% |
| Wrigley’s 5 | $155.9 | -6.9% | 97.1 | -5.4% |
| Wrigley’s Extra | $79.0 | -1.8% | 53.5 | -2.5% |
| Stride | $60.6 | -17.4% | 42.2 | -14.6% |
| Dentyne Ice | $40.9 | -5.8% | 27.6 | -4.3% |
| Wrigley’s Doublemint | $38.0 | -5.2% | 49.5 | -6.1% |
| Wrigley’s Eclipse | $36.3 | -24.1% | 23.0 | -21.3% |
| Trident White | $28.3 | -2.9% | 19.2 | -2.4% |
| Trident Layers | $22.1 | -29.4% | 13.1 | -27.8% |
| Total (including brands not shown) | $1,021.3 | -6.8% | 763.6 | -5.9% |
| Sugarless UPCs | ||||
| Wrigley’s 5 Cobalt (15-count) | $40.2 | 0.3% | 22.9 | -0.1% |
| Wrigley’s 5 Rain (15-count) | $38.4 | 1.7% | 21.8 | 1.2% |
| Trident Spearmint (18-count) | $31.1 | 17.1% | 22.5 | 19.0% |
| Orbit Spearmint (14-count) | $30.3 | 1.8% | 20.6 | 0.8% |
| Trident Tropical Twist (18-count) | $27.0 | 4.7% | 19.4 | 6.9% |
| Regular UPCs | ||||
| Wrigley’s Doublemint (15-count) | $25.2 | -6.0% | 17.0 | -6.8% |
| Wrigley’s Big Red (15-count) | $13.5 | -2.1% | 9.0 | -3.1% |
| Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit (15-count) | $13.3 | -5.5% | 9.0 | -6.1% |
| Wrigley’s Doublemint (5-count) | $10.9 | -6.4% | 31.1 | -6.6% |
| Wrigley’s Spearmint (15-count) | $10.0 | -19.4% | 6.7 | -20.3% |
Sources: The Nielsen Co., The Hershey Co.
Latest Quarter: Gum UPCs
C-store sales, 13 weeks ending Dec. 29, 2013
In the final quarter of 2013, c-store sales of gum fell more than 5%, although many of the top UPCs saw modest growth, according to IRI.
| UPC | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA | Unit sales (millions) | PCYA |
| Wrigley’s 5 Cobalt (15-count) | $10.3 | 1.5% | 5.8 | 1.0% |
| Wrigley’s 5 Rain (15-count) | $9.5 | 2.7% | 5.4 | 2.1% |
| Orbit Spearmint (14-count) | $7.6 | 5.3% | 5.2 | 2.9% |
| Orbit Peppermint (14-count) | $6.7 | 13.3% | 4.5 | 11.3% |
| Wrigley’s Double Mint (15-count) | $6.6 | -1.5% | 4.5 | -2.0% |
| Wrigley’s Extra Spearmint (15-count) | $6.6 | 6.2% | 4.5 | 4.8% |
| Trident Spearmint (18-count) | $6.5 | 11.1% | 4.5 | 10.2% |
| Trident Original (18-count) | $5.9 | 12.2% | 4.1 | 11.6% |
| Orbit Wintermint (14-count) | $5.7 | 6.4% | 3.9 | 4.5% |
| Wrigley’s Extra Polar Ice (15-count) | $5.5 | 6.0% | 3.8 | 5.0% |
| Total (including UPCs not shown) | $259.4 | -5.3% | 193.7 | -7.5% |
Source: IRI
Market Share by Sugar Content
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 28, 2013
Sugarless gum contributed nearly 84% of dollar sales and more than 75% of unit sales in 2013, according to Nielsen.
| Candy type | Dollar share | Point change |
| Sugarless | 83.5% | -0.6 |
| Regular | 16.5% | 0.6 |
| Unit share | ||
| Sugarless | 75.1% | 0.2 |
| Regular | 24.9% | -0.2 |
Sources: The Nielsen Co., The Hershey Co.
Cross-Category Opportunity
While cigarettes’ relationship with the breath-freshener category is well documented, research by Management Science Associates (MSA) finds that gum ranks among the top 10 items included in an e-cigarette market basket.
Breath-Freshener Trends
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 28, 2013
Nearly 70% of c-store breath-freshener sales in 2013 were provided by mint-flavored items, according to Nielsen, although fruit flavors gained share. The top-selling brand and UPC were contributed by Perfetti Van Melle’s Mentos line.
| Brands/UPC | ||||
| Brand | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA | Unit sales (millions) | PCYA |
| Mentos | $47.9 | 4.2% | 41.4 | -1.6% |
| Tic Tac | $40.9 | 3.1% | 27.8 | 2.7% |
| Ice Breakers Mints | $39.2 | 8.9% | 16.8 | 7.5% |
| BreathSavers | $33.0 | 1.5% | 28.6 | 0.4% |
| Altoids | $27.5 | 7.7% | 11.5 | 7.5% |
| Ice Breakers Duo | $16.7 | 62.4% | 7.2 | 58.0% |
| Ice Breakers Frost | $13.6 | -6.0% | 5.9 | -7.3% |
| Altoids Smalls | $9.1 | -9.4% | 5.9 | -10.0% |
| Certs | $4.8 | -10.4% | 4.8 | -11.3% |
| Ice Breakers Sours | $4.4 | -3.0% | 1.9 | -5.6% |
| Total (including brands not shown) | $243.0 | 4.7% | 154.8 | 1.3% |
| UPC | ||||
| Mentos Mint (1.32-oz.) | $22.9 | 5.7% | 20.1 | 1.1% |
| Ice Breakers Cool Mint (1.5-oz.) | $18.9 | 6.3% | 8.0 | 5.5% |
| Tic Tac Orange (1-oz.) | $16.4 | 12.2% | 11.1 | 11.1% |
| Altoids Peppermint (1.76-oz.) | $16.0 | 3.5% | 6.7 | 2.8% |
| Tic Tac Freshmint (1-oz.) | $15.9 | 5.9% | 10.7 | 5.4% |
| Ice Breakers Winter Mint (1.5-oz.) | $15.5 | 8.7% | 6.6 | 8.0% |
| Mentos mixed fruit (1.32-oz.) | $14.8 | -1.2% | 13.0 | -4.7% |
| BreathSavers Wintergreen (12-count) | $12.3 | 3.6% | 11.6 | 3.3% |
| BreathSavers Peppermint (12-count) | $10.6 | 3.7% | 10.1 | 3.4% |
| Ice Breakers Duo Strawberry (1.3-oz.) | $9.5 | 60.0% | 4.1 | 55.6% |
Sources: The Nielsen Co., The Hershey Co.
Dollar Share by Flavor
| Flavor | Dollar share | Point change |
| Mint | 67.9% | -1.9 |
| Fruit | 27.3% | 2.1 |
| Cinnamon | 2.8% | 0.2 |
| Sour | 1.8% | -0.1 |
| All others | 0.2% | -0.3 |
Sources: The Nielsen Co., The Hershey Co.
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