First Energy Gum has now stocked 231 Spar Express stores with its revamped energy gum after Albert Heijn and AH To-go. The young start-up, led by Olympic champion Mark Tuitert and YouTuber Thomas van der Vlugt, launched the revamped caffeine gum online in mid-May with much fanfare and is on its way to rapidly increasing the number of physical stores.
Although Tuitert's energy gum has been available online for 5 years, 2023 is set to see large-scale expansion in offline sales channels. Since 2020, First Energy Gum has already been available at BP (now AH-To-go) where it scored well. Within a year, it captured the No. 3 position on the gum shelf while not directly competing with other gum brands. The good score led to FIRST being allowed to test at Spar Express at Texaco and Esso gas stations a year later. This month, FIRST's old product will be replaced by the renewed energy gum in as many as 230 stores.
FIRST has a liquid core of 40 mg of caffeine, which are absorbed through the oral mucosa and provide you with extra energy and focus within 10 minutes. FIRST is thus a functional gum and falls into a new product category that will compete primarily against coffee and energy drinks. Tuitert's success has not gone unnoticed. Since 2021, Sportlife has launched their "boost energy" and "boost focus," and Mentos has launched a functional gum for whiter teeth and gum with vitamin for extra resistance.
"Globally, we are seeing this upward trend of functional chewing gum. These can have several unique benefits. For example, FIRST is an energy chewing gum, but is also being marketed for weight loss, whiter teeth, smoking cessation, and nicer skin and healthy hair. These developments mean an overall innovation boost for the gum product category in which we aim to become the market leader with First Energy Gum," said Mark Tuitert.
About First Energy Gum
First Energy Gum is a chewing gum with 40 mg of caffeine (equivalent to 1 cup of coffee) that gives you a clean energy boost, extra focus and strength within 10 minutes. It works for about 5 hours after use, contains only 4 kcal, 0% fat, 0% sugar, is gluten-free and vegan.
Many Dutch celebrities and top athletes embrace First Energy Gum, including the Dutch national team, Arie Boomsma, Giel Beelen, Henk Grol, Maarten van der Weijden and Suzanne Schulting, but the brand has a much broader target audience than just athletes. Whether you are a surgeon, driver, steward/stewardess or teacher, everyone needs some extra energy and better concentration from time to time.