Gum’s popularity in US diminishes
Sales sputter 11 percent in 4 years; industry unsure of decline’s cause
NEW YORK — Gum seems as appealing as that sticky wad on the bottom of a shoe these days.
It’s not that Americans still don’t enjoy a stick of Trident or Orbit, the two most popular brands. They just aren’t as crazy about chomping away as they once were, with U.S. sales tumbling 11 percent over the past four years.
No one in the industry can pinpoint a single factor that’s causing the decline — the theories include an unwillingness to shell out $2 or more for a pack in the bad economy or that advertising veered too far from underlining gum’s cavity-fighting benefits. But the biggest reason may be that people simply have more to chew on.
From designer mints to fruit chews, candy companies have invented plenty of other ways to get a sugar fix or battle bad breath and anxiety. The alternatives don’t come with gum’s unpleasant characteristics either, like the question of whether to spit out or gulp the remains. They’re also less likely to annoy parents, co-workers or romantic interests.
“You talk to someone and they’re just chomping on gum,” said Matt Smith, a 46-year-old who lives in Albany, N.Y. and hates gum so much he refers to it only by its first letter. “It’s disgusting.”
Tasteless image lingers
The gumchewing habit dates as far back as the ancient Greeks but arrived in the U.S. in its modern form in the1860s, according to Mars Inc., the No. 1 player in the market with its Wrigley unit.
Over the years, gum makers positioned it as a way to “Kiss a Little Longer” in the famous Big Red jingle, quit smoking, curb cravings or just make the chewer happier. It popped up in pop culture too. In the 1960s, a genre of music aimed at younger audiences came to be known as “bubblegum.”
But gum’s image as a tasteless habit also stuck, with some high-profile gum chewing only making it worse.
In 2003, Britney Spears gave an interview to CNN where a white piece of gum could be seen floating around her mouth as she fielded questions on a range of topics, including the war in Iraq. Talk show host Wendy Williams has a “gum wall” backstage, where she sticks wads of it before walking out.
Such imagery may be why gum is still a no-no in business meetings or first dates, according to Lizzie Post, co-author of “Emily Post’s Etiquette.”
“My grandmother used to tell me, ‘You look like a cow chewing cud,’ ” she said.
Chewy foods emerge
Gum’s bad image is one reason that alternatives look more attractive. There’s also another perennial complaint: “The flavor runs out too fast,” said Ryan Furbush, a 17-year-old from Sayreville, N.J. who has stopped chewing gum in favor of chewy candies and chocolates.
Since peaking in 2009, U.S. gum sales have fallen 11 percent to $3.71 billion last year, according to market researcher Euromonitor International.