Gum maker Wrigley is shaking up its Extra Ice brand in the UK next year as it looks to build on what it claims is a recovery in gum sales in the country.
Wrigley, a subsidiary of chocolate and candy maker Mars Inc, plans to relaunch its Extra Ice Peppermint and Spearmint lines, as well as launch Extra Ice White.
All three products will contain what Wrigley dubbed “microgranules” and Xylitol, an ingredient that helps prevent the formation of plaque.
The new Extra Ice White also contains sodium bicarbonate. Wrigley said the new product had been “scientifically proven” to help remove stains and maintain the whiteness of teeth.
Wrigley sales director Duncan McCulloch said: “2010 has seen the Extra brand broaden its market appeal from being purely a breath freshening product to offering consumers wider oral care benefits. We are confident that the launch of Extra Ice White, Extra Ice Peppermint and Extra Ice Spearmint will reinforce this and add value to the category through trading up consumers and attracting new chewers.”
Pointing to Nielsen stats for the 52 weeks to 6 November, Wrigley said the Extra Ice brand was worth GBP20m (US$31.2m) and had seen sales rise 14% year-on-year.
