Wrigley UK merges Orbit into Extra range

By Oliver Nieburg

- Last updated on GMT

Wrigley says bringing Orbit under the Extra umbrella will drive sales
Wrigley says bringing Orbit under the Extra umbrella will drive sales

Related tags Perfetti van melle Wm. wrigley jr. company Mentos Uk

Wrigley UK has incorporated its Orbit brand into the Extra range to help drive sales and will also launch soft chew options to appeal to younger consumers.

Extra is the UK’s top selling gum brand and Wrigley said it could help to leverage the Orbit range.

Into Orbit

“Bringing Orbit under the Extra umbrella and strengthening our soft-chew offering will pave the way for even further growth,”​ said Sue Cobbledick, Wrigley Oral Care marketing manager.

“The trend towards oral care shows no signs of slowing, as chewers seek out a healthy addition to their day-to-day oral care routine. By bolstering the Extra brand with these new variants we expect to capitalize on this trend and attract new chewers to the category, helping retailers drive sales.”

Wrigley will launch Extra branded packs for Orbit peppermint and spearmint flavors.

Soft chews

The Mars subsidiary will also two add soft-chew options to the Extra range in strawberry and bubblegum flavors aimed at bringing new younger chewers to the category. The soft-chew launch will be supported by a 16-week long television advertising campaign.

Wrigley UK has dedicated £15m ($24m) in marketing support for the Extra brand in 2015.

wrigley chews

UK gum market

Value sales for the Wrigley gum brand amounted to £278m ($437m) for the 52 weeks ending 16 August 2014, up 3.2% compared to the same period last year, according to data from IRI.

The overall UK gum market grew 1.5% over the period to £304m ($478m). The second bestselling gum brand was Perfetti Van Melle’s Mentos with value sales of £8m ($13m), down 9.2% on the same period last year.

Related topics Manufacturers Gum Mars

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4 comments

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Hi

Posted by Madonna,

I'm addicted to chewing gum!

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Mr.

Posted by Gwyn Pritchard-Williams,

I used Orbit for its Xylitol content as this helps to keep my eustation tubes clear due to its mild anti bacterial action. Does the level of Xylitol in the new products match the Orbit soft chew sticks?

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missing orbit

Posted by chris,

I agree with all the comment made in the previous comment. I have been using Orbit for many years - buying by the box. I find it useful having the wrapper for the used gum so that I don't leave an unpleasant mess for someone else to clear up. And I think it better for my teeth.

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