End of an Era: No One Is Chewing Gum Anymore?

Could chewing gum be going the route of the Dodo Bird? Ever since the pandemic, chewing gum sales are down . . . by a lot. Last year, gum sales rose less than 1% to 1.2 billion units, which was still 32% fewer than in 2018. And globally, sales are down 10% from 2018.

It wasn’t JUST Covid that broke people’s gum habit. There’s a trend of limiting sugar, and eating foods with better ingredients. There could be changes in “generational trends”. And inflated prices may also be cutting into sales. Regardless of how we got here, some gum companies are changing their approach to marketing, and are now hyping gum as an instant stress reliever rather than an occasional breath freshener.