But category leader Wrigley was unfazed by the increased level of competition and, one year on, has not only weathered the storm but enjoyed an almost record 12 months.
In fact, the introduction of a new player looks to have galvanised the chewing gum category as a whole. It was the star performer within confectionery last year, growing by some 17% to £278m, although this may also be due in part to the introduction of smoking bans in England, Wales and Northern Ireland over the summer.
Within the UK market Wrigley’s Extra range remains far and away the number-one sugar confectionery brand. It recorded 9% growth, jumping from 23rd position to 19th in the Top 100 on sales of nearly £185m.
Driving this growth has been a raft of NPD and marketing support, as part of Wrigley’s £45m-worth of backing for its key brands.
New products under the Extra banner included the launch of Extra Ice with a Liquid Burst, as well as handy Extra Bottle packs designed to fit car drinks holders or sit neatly on a desk. Limited edition Bottle pack flavours Strawberry and Watermelon helped keep up the momentum.
A further major development was the launch in August of Extra Fusion, providing a new twist to the Extra brand with the addition of two new fruit flavours: Spearmint with a twist of Melon and Peppermint with a twist of Berry.
This was followed in September by the innovative Extra Fusion sugarfree tab in two new variants – both bringing together three flavours within a single tab.
Wrigley’s Extra also became the Official Chewing Gum of the Premier League.
