Wrigley through the years
We've come a long way in 100 years: from small beginnings in a single office in London to becoming the UK's biggest seller of chewing gum.
-
1911
Wrigley sets up in Heppells, a chemist in London's Piccadilly. One of our first major hurdles was to change attitudes about chewing in public in a somewhat austere Edwardian Britain!
-
1920s
During the First World War many soldiers chewed gum in the trenches, and this new habit travelled back with them and coincided with the wide-ranging social changes of the 1920s.
-
1927
Along with the change in social attitudes post-war came a growing demand for chewing gum, and to help meet it we opened our first factory in Wembley in 1927.
-
1950
Chewing gum has been recommended by dental professionals for many years, and as long ago as 1950 a paper was presented at the AGM of the BDA recommending chewing gum.
-
1950s
Because of wartime rationing, gum had started to be seen as a glamourous, luxury item. After rationing ended in the 1950s, chewing gum was one of the items people desired.
-
1970s
By the 1970s gum was reaching new heights of popularity and we moved from Wembley to a bigger factory in Plymouth, officially opened by HRH the Duke of Edinburgh in 1972.
-
1977
Orbit®, the world's first sugarfree chewing gum, is launched, pushing Wrigley into new territory and reaching new, more health-conscious customers.
-
2003
We've continued to innovate with new brands, which are now part of everyday life for millions. 2003 saw the launch of Extra Mints®, an extension of one of our best-loved brands.
-
2011
Our centenary year saw the launch of Extra Ice® with microgranules, accredited by the British Dental Health Foundation. We've also set up many projects like the Wrigley Tooth Fairy Fund.
-
2012
Major launches include our new Fresh Mint and Strawberry Extra® varieties, and we're constantly looking at ways to get our message out to encourage people to chew for better oral health.
