Chewing Gum Industry’s Survival: The Race for Long-Lasting Bestsellers!

Bottom right: Ezaki Glico – “POs-Ca” is recognized for its cavity prevention benefits, even earning the endorsement of the Japan Dental Association. More parents are buying it for their children.

The Struggling Gum Industry

Chewing gum may have become an old man’s snack.

In March of last year, when the whole country rejoiced at Samurai Japan’s WBC victory, a decision made by Meiji, the largest confectionery company in Japan, shook the gum industry.

“Meiji announced the discontinuation of ‘Xylish’ and ‘Petit Gum,’ and declared their withdrawal from the gum market. ‘Xylish’ was one of their flagship products, with massive advertising campaigns featuring famous personalities such as Masaharu Fukuyama and Kaela Kimura. The shock was much bigger than imagined” (Industry newspaper reporter).

There was a reason behind Meiji’s exit. The gum market, which had reached sales of 188.1 billion yen in its peak year of 2004, had dropped to 71 billion yen by 2022, less than half of its former size.

Meanwhile, the gummy market, which had long trailed behind the gum market, overtook it in terms of sales in 2021.

“Gum is a confectionery that doesn’t finish in your mouth. Naturally, you need to spit it out onto paper and throw it away. However, due to counter-terrorism measures, garbage bins have disappeared from train station platforms and from small parks. Additionally, more people are commuting or going to school while wearing earphones, which has also played a big role. The chewing sound interferes with music or video sound” (Chihiro Matsubayashi, a confectionery expert who appears on TV and other media).

Currently, the main consumer group for gum is the baby boomer generation, and younger people recognize gum as a snack that requires the hassle of throwing away trash and lacks smartness. For breath freshening, mint tablets, which dissolve directly in the mouth, tend to be chosen instead” (Chihiro Matsubayashi, confectionery expert).

In the midst of the continued struggles of the gum industry, one company that continues to fight is Lotte. Lotte, known for its long-selling products like “Ghana Milk,” “Yukimi Daifuku,” and “Choco Pie,” originally focused on manufacturing and selling chewing gum when it was founded in 1948.

“Lotte’s first long-seller was ‘Green Gum,’ released in 1957. This gum, which contained chlorophyll with deodorizing and antibacterial properties, quickly became popular as oral etiquette. Along with the ‘Cool Mint Gum’ released in 1960 with a blue package, ‘Green Gum’ sparked an unprecedented boom in slab gum. In 1983, ‘Black Black Gum,’ which combined spicy mint and caffeine, was released. It was a groundbreaking product that promoted functionality for combating sleepiness” (The aforementioned reporter).