For instance, Stride Shift, which changes flavor from fruit to mint, is appealing to young adults looking for excitement. The more exciting the gum or the more benefits the gum may offer, he said, helps "stimulate more occasions'' for consumers to use the product. "Innovation we bring to the category" helps sell Kraft's brands during "the impulse moment" at cash registers, said Jim Cali, the company's senior vice president and global gum and candy category team leader. "Gum manufacturers do have to get creative because consumers are looking for what's new and what's different, and as (the market) becomes saturated, it's about stealing share from each other." That's why gum brands need to multitask to keep growing the category, especially in the United States, which leads the world in per capita gum consumption. "It's possible that either you're a gum chewer or you're not, and how much gum can you chew in a typical day?" she said. Ann Hanson, executive director of product management at the NPD Group, a consumer and retail market research firm, pointed to another possibility: saturation in the U.S. There have also been indications that shoppers in checkout lines became less willing to spend $1.39 or $1.49 for a pack of brand-name gum. Candy manufacturers blame the recession, which reduced foot traffic at gas stations and at grocery and convenience stores. 5, compared with a 4 percent increase during calendar 2009. According to SymphonyIRI Group, a Chicago-based market research firm, sugar-free gum sales increased 3 percent to $2.3 billion for the year ended Sept. However, sugar-free gum sales increases have been slowing at home over the last 12 to 18 months. Total sales are expected to top $24 billion this year. Gum as a whole has been growing at a rapid clip over the last decade, with global sales up 37 percent since 2001, according to Euromonitor. Together, the two big players account for nearly 65 percent of the world's gum sales, according to Euromonitor. After all, the mergers of Mars and Wrigley and then Kraft and Cadbury have created global gum and confectionary giants with roots in Chicago. With gums like Extra Dessert Delights launching now, and Trident Vitality queued for early 2011, Kraft and Wrigley appear to be stepping up their game in effect, declaring a gum war. "Gum is the new delivery system for benefits, whether it's breath freshening or teeth cleaning, relaxation or just excitement because of new, unusual or interesting flavors," said Lynn Dornblaser, director of CPG insight at Mintel International, a global consumer, product and market research firm. Wrigley's Extra Dessert Delights, meanwhile, give dieters a reason to pass on cake, with flavors like chocolate mint chip and key lime pie. Trident Vitality, launching early next year, contains vitamin C for those who can't be bothered to eat fruit. Kraft Foods' Stride Shift, for instance, changes flavor while you're chewing. Some of the gums seem to have been pulled from science fiction, or at least Willy Wonka's factory. Candy manufacturers are rolling out gums for all occasions, to entice chewers to chew more frequently. Want to manage your weight, strengthen and whiten your teeth, increase your vitamin intake? Just bored out of your mind? Have some gum.
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