This chewing gum is no longer produced by Mars

by time news

Chicago, 1891. William Wrigley Junior took over his father’s soap company at the age of 30. As a shrewd entrepreneur who was already cleaning shop handles for his father at the age of 13, he quickly discovered a new business model: Wrigley included a packet of baking powder as a little extra with every soap box. The addition becomes a bestseller, so he quickly abandons the soap and concentrates on it. One day he discovered chewing gum production by chance. In turn, he now includes two packs of chewing gum with the baking powder he sells. And they too are soon more popular than the actual product. Wrigley decides to go into the gum business. This time he should stand his ground.

In 1893, with The Wrigley Company, he launched “Wrigley’s Spearmint” chewing gum, followed a short time later by “Juicy Fruits”. When the chewing gum empire was taken over by the US food company Mars Incorporated in 2008, its market value was around 17 billion dollars.

Stand for the “American way of life”

“Wrigley’s Spearmint” in particular became a cult symbol of the 1980s and 1990s, carried in the pockets of generations during their childhood and youth. For many, the peppermint chew strips in their characteristic white packaging with the green arrow and red writing represent the “American way of life” like hardly any other product. For decades, the so-called whine shelves at supermarket checkouts, petrol stations and kiosks could not be imagined without them.

But now, 130 years after the first market launch, this era is coming to an end. Mars has quietly ceased production of Wrigley’s Spearmint, Juicy Fruits and green-packaged Wrigley’s Doublemint. Gone are the days of nostalgia chewing gum. After Punica’s fruit juices, which disappeared from supermarket shelves in September 2022, this is the next step from a cult brand.

Mars: Dragee chewing gum is more popular

Why did Mars discontinue Wrigley’s gum? When asked by the FAZ, Nadine Boch, press spokeswoman for Mars Wrigley, explained that due to declining developments in recent years, the decision was made some time ago to “remove the strip and mini-strip format from our chewing gum portfolio at the end of 2022”. . The Extra and Orbit brands of chewing gum are also affected. Mars Wrigley strives to align the range “as best as possible with the wishes of consumers and current trend developments,” says Boch. A “clear preference” for dragee chewing gum was observed here. In addition, the business strategy has “already focused more on the development of our core brands Extra and Airwaves as well as 5GUM and Hubba Bubba in recent years”. According to Boch, Mars Wrigley now wants to continue down this path in 2023.

This is sad news for consumers. For many, Wrigley’s chewing gum is a reminder of their childhood. A user on Twitter therefore wrote: “Just read that there is no more Wrigley’s Spearmint and now I’m really sad.” Another posts the picture of a “Wrigley’s” box, which reads: “You have no idea what melancholy this picture triggers in me. That’s never coming back. Home will never be the same again as it was then.”

Clever sellers on eBay sense the hour is right. A user offers two packs of the cult chewing gum for a mere 30 euros. Mind you: in the supermarket the price was previously 1.59 euros. So you have to be a die-hard nostalgic.

You may also like

Leave a Comment