In an unprecedented short period of two months, First Energy Gum successfully launched its updated products in no less than 1,700 retail and out-of-home outlets. This establishes it as the fastest-growing gum brand in the Netherlands.
Although First Energy Gum is a chewing gum, it doesn't just compete with other gum brands. FIRST contains caffeine that is absorbed through the oral mucosa, providing extra energy and focus within 10 minutes. FIRST is thus a functional gum and falls into a whole new product category, competing with coffee and energy drinks in addition to gum.
"With the introduction of First Energy Gum at Albert Heijn, AH-To-Go, Jumbo, Spar and soon in a large OOH channel in the third quarter, we are growing to almost 2,000 outlets this year. This marks the beginning of a great adventure. We are enormously grateful for these opportunities and feel an extra motivation to prove that we deserve this position. We realize it will not be an easy task to compete against the big players on the shelf, but we know we have something unique to offer. Through years of careful work on our online presence, fan base and a strong brand, we are now ready," Tuitert said.
Van der Vlugt emphasizes, "With these important steps, we have now become more accessible to a wide audience, which is an excellent fit for our new product. Before, the eraser was only available online, which was too big a step for many people. So this is really great, and now we can really focus on making sure everyone starts using FIRST. It feels like a new beginning, and it's great to see your own gum on the shelves! So I am extremely proud that within two months we can be found in three major supermarket chains."
