Gum industry
Two multi-national companies, Wrigley and Cadbury, together account for some 60% market share of the worldwide chewing gum market. The global market shares for the top 5 chewing gum companies are estimated to be:
35% Wrigley Company (USA)
26% Cadbury Trebor Bassett (UK)
14% Lotte (South Korea + Japan)
6% Perfetti Van Melle (Italy)
2% Hershey's (USA)
The remaining 17% of the global market is provided by an estimated 200 to 250 smaller gum companies, some of which are listed below.
The worldwide chewing gum industry in 2012 is estimated to be worth $26 billion in sales, and has grown by more than 14% in the last 3 years.
Chewing gum accounts for 85% of global sales, and bubble gum the other 15%.
History
1848: John B. Curtis developed the first commercially available chewing gum
1891: Wrigley Company (USA) was established
1909: L.A. Dreyfus (USA) was established
1916: The Hershey Company enters the chewing gum business
1918: NACGM [National Association of Chewing Gum Manufacturers] (USA) established