Almost 6 in 10 (58%) adults claim to use chewing gum as a breath freshener, while almost half (45%) claim to use mints, with just over a quarter (27%) claiming to use both chewing gum and mints. Recent research on behalf of Retail Intelligence by Empathy Research, amongst a nationally representative sample of 1,000 adults aged 18+, sought to understand the purchase behaviour in both the chewing gum and mint category.
Chewing gum purchase is significantly higher amongst those aged under 44, where some 7 in 10 (71%) claim to purchase. Those aged 65+ (19%) are least likely to purchase chewing gum but are significantly more likely to only purchase mints (27%). Chewing gum purchase is quite frequent, with 44% of current purchasers buying once a week or more often.
When it comes to purchase behaviour over the past 12 months, there are almost 1 in 5 (17%) chewing gum buyers who claim to have increased their purchase frequency, with the same proportion (17%), claiming to have decreased purchase over the same period. There has been little difference across demographics in this behaviour.
While the main motivations for increasing purchase frequency centre on the desire for fresh breath (52%), there are almost 3 in 10 (27%) who have increased their purchase of chewing gum in order to fight food cravings. Further to this, there are 1 in 6 (16%) who have increased their purchase frequency to help stop smoking. Amongst those who have decreased their purchase of chewing gum, the main factor is a falling out of the habit of purchasing, cited by just over 6 in 10 (62%), with 16% trying to cut back on artificial sweeteners and 12% claiming they are cutting back on sugar.
For further information and more in-depth analysis on the purchase behaviour of those who purchase breath fresheners, please contact Robbie Clarke at Empathy Research.
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