Functional Gum
It’s often still in search of a home within the store, but functional gum is oh-so-much more than merely a fad.
Functional Gum Category Estimated U.S. Retail Market Size
$600 million
Source: Confectioner estimate based on input from
industry players
Overview
Want to focus your attention for a study session?
Looking for an energy boost? How about a secret weapon in a weight-loss
program? Welcome to the brave new world of functional chewing gum.
Gum is an optimal delivery vehicle for functional
ingredients — vitamins, minerals, botanical compounds and even
caffeine — which has made it a flourishing segment of the functional
foods market, a category with overall retail sales of $19 billion in
2004, according to the research firm Datamonitor.
Energy gums represent one of the best opportunities in
the marketplace right now, with tremendous growth potential. Beyond that,
products positioned to support diet regimens may be the next big thing for
a couple of reasons. No. 1, research has shown that consumers already chew
gum as an appetite suppressant. Secondly, the emergence of products
formulated with ingredients like chromium picolinate and l-carnitine
deliver metabolism-boosting, appetite-curbing benefits that have been
scientifically documented.
Pricing
It’s true that the ingredients used to formulate
functional products add to product cost, but retail pricing still needs to
stay in the range of 20 percent to 30 percent above mainstream gums in
order to encourage trial. Consumers are taking a risk when they try
something new; don’t discourage them with “insult”
pricing!
As the category becomes better established, the
potential for upping the profit margin will be there. Consider the fact
that while soft drink prices hover at just a bit over $1, Red Bull Energy
drink sells for more than $2.
Adjacencies
The challenge here is that many retailers aren’t
sure where to position functional gums in the store. One thing that
category experts agree about: This gum shouldn’t just be dropped into
the middle of the existing gum set with the hope that consumers will
stumble across it. And the slower-traffic HBA aisle certainly isn’t
optimal for stimulating impulse purchases.
Outlook
Watch for the functional gum category to grow strongly
until it’s no longer a niche business, but something that mainstream
vendors have embraced. Support for such forecasts can be found in the
functional beverage category, where fortified beverages now represent a
significant share of convenience store cooler vault sales.
Merchandising Must
Make a statement. If you want a functional gum product to take off, don’t bury it in with the regular gum. This is an emerging category, and consumers need to find new products easily through prime positioning and eye-catching point-of-purchase materials. So consider placing it in locations such as across the top of the gum and mints section or use a countertop display or clip-strip at the front end.
