Mints and gums are highly impulsive purchases, but there’s more to merchandising them than just sticking them on the till point – the category needs planning, precision and constant revision.
The Mints and Gums category is one of the biggest opportunities to drive sales and profits in a convenience store. It is a large category with mints worth around £147m [Nielsen, Aug 16] and gum worth around £261m [ Nielsen, Jun 17] so it can really help you drive sales and in particular drive incremental impulse sales.
Mints
“Mints provide consumers with refreshment and give confidence, so they have very broad appeal,” says Susan Nash, Trade Communications Manager at Mondelez International. “Indeed, research shows that one in every two shoppers buy into the category and that customers expect to see mints in your stores [Kantar, Aug 2016].”
The number one brand in the mint category is Trebor, with sales of over £50m [Nielsen, Aug 16]. The number one bestselling product is Trebor Extra strong, a product with a rich heritage, being first introduced in the 1950s.
Nash says: “The Trebor range meets both consumer need states of refreshment and confidence through its range of extra strong, soft and sugar-free mints and it has the highest rate of sale of any mint brand. [Nielsen, Aug 16].
The key to success in selling mints, advise Nash, is visibility. Consumers expect to see mints by the counter area and she recommends that mints, where space allows, are sited in at least two locations: on the main confectionery fixture and in the hot zone (the area around the counter and front-of-store).
Using manufacturers’ POS ensures the product stands out to really inspire purchase, and products should be neatly merchandised to help the shopper select what they are looking for. Pricing should be clear.
Research also shows that having the latest NPD and products that are benefiting from media support will help drive your sales.
Trebor launched its popular Softmints in a pot format this summer with the new convenient 100g packs available in both the peppermint and spearmint variants.
Nash explains: “With its larger format, the new pot has been created to allow consumers to easily enjoy the mints on-the-go, making it ideal for desktops at work, in a bag for the daily commute or in the car.”
The pot format is now worth £4.5m in the mints category and growing at 230% [IRI, Jun 17] so the launch aims to help retailers drive further mint sales.
Trebor has also expanded its range further with the launch of new Trebor Mighties in early 2017: a brand new, sugar-free mint that delivers a big refreshing hit of Trebor mintyness in a small pack.
Available in two flavours, Mint and Berry Mint, Trebor Mighties delivers a continuous wave of cooling refreshment, meaning consumers can stay confident and fresher for longer.
This is a sugar-free product and, as health conscious shoppers are increasingly looking for sugar-free options, Trebor Mighties will help to provide consumers with greater purchasing choice and drive incrementality for the category.
The units are sold in a flexible shelf-ready outer with hooks, meaning the packs can be sited anywhere in store for maximum stand-out.
- Stock the bestselling brands: Trebor is the no. 1 mint.
- Have a range of stock hard and soft mints in spearmint and peppermint and sugar free.
- Stock the latest supported NPD.
- Make the most of brand investment: have displays in store when the consumer is most aware of them.
- Utilise manufacturer POS to help product stand-out and help shoppers spot what they are looking for.
- Place mints in the main confectionery fixture and on the counter.
- Be fully stocked.
- Stock should be clearly priced.
Gum
When it comes to gum, Wrigley is the clear market leader, accounting for £246m of the total £261m market.
The future is sugar-free, according to Alison Owen, Refresh Portfolio Director at Wrigley UK. She says: “Growth is being driven by sugar-free gum and Wrigley expects this to continue as chewers seek out a healthy addition to their day-to-day oral care routine. Worth over £204m [Nielsen, Jun 17], Extra sugar-free gum is the driving force behind the gum category, which is growing in volume sales.”
Extra’s core flavours – Peppermint and Spearmint – are the top-performing variants and are worth over £130m [Nielsen, Jun 17].
Livening up the category, Wrigley unlocked brand-new consumption occasions and huge category growth potential across its sugar-free gum portfolios in August with the return of its innovative in-car gum holder, free of charge with selected purchased gum and mint bottles.
After identifying in-car consumption as a clear growth opportunity, Wrigley developed a holder which is tailored to conveniently keep gum bottles front of mind.
The formats in the offer include Extra Peppermint, Extra Spearmint (60pc), Extra White, Extra White Bubblemint, Extra Ice Peppermint and Extra Coolbreeze (46pc), alongside Airwaves Menthol & Eucalyptus (46pc) bottles and Doublemint Mints bottles (70pc).
To support the launch, the brand has invested in digital and out-of-home activity, including TV and online videos, bus stop promotion and satnav advertising, in addition to POS material.
