Mintel blames the problem at least partially upon limited shelf space. Gum and mints traditionally are stocked in the front end of the store, an extremely difficult spot to grow shelf space, particularly near the cash register, the traditional home of these products. Any newly introduced products often force retailers to remove lower-selling products from the shelves to make room.
Further complicating matters has been a failure to launch products truly unique enough to expand consumption or bring new users to the category. The users who are purchasing gum and mints do so for one primary reason, Mintel finds: fresh breath was cited by 56% of those surveyed, with “it's just a habit” and “instead of a snack” ranking well behind (24% and 16%, respectively).