Wrigley looks to build on chewing gum growth
candy products in time for the crucial summer selling season.
These new product and packaging offerings, which will hit US stores in July, include the Eclipse Big-E-Pak, Life Savers Gummies Fruit Splosions and Winterfresh Winterbursts.
"Wrigley has a long history of innovating to delight our consumers," said Martin Schlatter, vice president and chief marketing officer.
"Our new product line up continues the company's rich tradition of bringing our consumers and customers attractive products and unique packaging that offer a variety of benefits and become part of their everyday lives."
Chewing gum, particularly the sugar-free category, is one of the fastest growing areas of the US confectionery market. Total US chewing gum sales, excluding Wal-Mart sales, stood at $944m (€790m) for 2005, up 23 per cent since 2002.
Sugar-free chewing gum was worth $730m (€610m) in the US last year, with sales increasing 54 per cent since 2002, according to figures from ACNielson.
Wrigley has been at the forefront of gum's growth, registering record sales of over $4bn last year.
Wrigley's new gum offerings include new flavours and one packaging innovation. Indeed, the company claims that Eclipse's new packaging is the biggest thing to happen to gum in 2006. The Big-E-Pak contains 60 pellets of gum and comes in Spearmint and Winterfrost flavours.
Other innovations involve new flavours. Orbit, the number two gum franchise second only to Wrigley's Extra gum for example, is set to feature Lemon-Lime and Crystal Mint, bring new fruit and mint flavours to the range.
Wrigley will also introduce several new confectionery items, including Life Savers 'Orange Mints' and 'Sweet Mint,' the first new product innovation from the Life Savers mint brand in over ten years. Other new confections include Life Savers Gummies Fruit Splosions, innovative liquid-filled gummies that combine a burst of real fruit juice in the centre.
Fruit Splosions come in three different varieties: traditional flavour, sour cherry and a variety pack with strawberry, blackberry, orange and watermelon.
"At the heart of every new product launch is the desire of our consumers for new and exciting candies, gums and mints in unique flavours, packages and formats," said Rory Finlay, vice president and managing director, new confectionery brands.
"The new Creme Savers Desserts, for example, illustrate our commitment to dynamic innovation when it comes to simple pleasures and indulgences."
