Target Up & Up Nicotine Gum Review: Underrated Store Brand

Nobody talks about Target’s nicotine gum. Go look at any quit smoking forum, any Reddit thread about which nicotine gum to buy, and you’ll see people debating Nicorette vs CVS vs Walmart. Target’s Up & Up brand rarely comes up. I think that’s a mistake, because after trying all the major store brands, Target’s version ended up being my quiet favorite among the generics.

Let me explain why, and let me be clear about what “favorite generic” means. It means I think it’s slightly better than the other store brands in ways that might matter to you. It doesn’t mean it’s as good as Nicorette. And it doesn’t mean it’s the cheapest. It occupies a middle ground that’s genuinely useful if you’re a Target shopper.

What Target Sells

Under the Up & Up store brand, Target carries nicotine gum in a few options:

Coated Mint - The primary offering. A coated nicotine gum piece with a mint flavor and candy shell. Available in 2mg and 4mg. This is what most Target stores stock and what most people will buy.

Coated Ice Mint - A stronger, cooler mint variation. Available at some Target locations but not all. When you find it, it’s worth trying. The extra mint intensity makes a noticeable difference.

Original (Uncoated) - The plain, unflavored option. 2mg and 4mg. Same story as every other brand’s unflavored gum. Functions but doesn’t impress.

Coated Cinnamon - Available at select locations. Not consistently stocked but findable on target.com.

The selection is similar to CVS and Walgreens. No fruit flavors, no exotic options. Standard generic lineup. Target doesn’t try to compete with Nicorette on variety.

Pricing

Up & Up nicotine gum pricing sits right in the middle of the generic pack:

20-count box: around $7 to $9
100-count box: around $20 to $25
160-count box: around $25 to $30

At regular retail, it’s comparable to CVS Health pricing and a couple dollars more than Walmart Equate. Not the cheapest, not the most expensive among generics.

But Target has two pricing advantages worth knowing about:

The RedCard. If you have a Target RedCard (either the debit version or the credit card), you get 5% off every purchase automatically. No coupons to clip, no loyalty program to manage. Just 5% off at checkout. On a $28 box of gum, that’s about $1.40 in savings. Not huge, but it’s effortless and it applies every single time.

Over the course of a 12-week quit, if you’re buying a 160-count box roughly every two to three weeks, the RedCard saves you about $6 to $8 total. Small, but it adds up when combined with other savings.

Target Circle. Target’s free loyalty program occasionally has offers on Up & Up health products. I’ve seen 10% off and 15% off Up & Up health and wellness deals in the Target Circle app. When these stack with the RedCard discount, you’re getting 15% to 20% off the sticker price. At that point, Up & Up pricing approaches Walmart Equate territory while arguably offering a slightly better product.

There’s also the occasional clearance markdown. Target is known for marking down products that are approaching expiration or being reformulated. I found Up & Up nicotine gum on clearance once at 30% off. That was a lucky find, not something you can count on, but it’s worth checking the clearance endcaps in the health section when you’re at Target.

The Taste Test

Here’s where Up & Up surprised me. The coated mint version tastes better than I expected. Better, I’d argue, than CVS, Walgreens, or Equate.

The mint flavor in Up & Up gum is cleaner. Less artificial aftertaste. It still doesn’t match Nicorette’s White Ice Mint, which has a more complex, layered mint flavor. But compared to the other store brands, Target’s mint feels closer to a real mint flavor and less like mint-flavored medicine.

The mint also lasts a bit longer than other generics. I’d estimate about three to four minutes of noticeable mint flavor before it fades into the standard nicotine gum taste. That’s a minute or so longer than Equate and about the same as CVS. Nicorette still leads at five to seven minutes, but Up & Up closes the gap more than other generics.

I have a theory about why Target’s generic tastes slightly better: Target is known for investing more in their store brand product development across all categories. Their Up & Up cleaning products, pantry staples, and health items tend to be a step above the typical generic quality tier. I think that philosophy extends to their nicotine gum. The flavoring is a touch more refined.

Is the taste difference dramatic? No. In a blind comparison, you might not notice it. But after chewing dozens of pieces from each brand over several months, patterns emerge. Target’s gum was consistently the generic I reached for first when I had multiple brands in my cabinet. The taste was marginally more pleasant, and over hundreds of pieces, that margin mattered to my daily experience.

Texture Notes

The texture of Up & Up nicotine gum is good. The coating has a satisfying crunch that’s slightly more substantial than Equate or Walgreens but not quite as crisp as Nicorette. The gum itself hits a nice middle ground of firmness. It softens enough to be comfortable during the chew-and-park routine without getting too mushy or falling apart.

Sticky residue on teeth is minimal. Less than Walgreens, about the same as CVS. This matters if you use nicotine gum at work and don’t want to be constantly picking gum residue off your molars between meetings.

The gum holds together well over a full 30-minute session. Some generics start crumbling after 20 minutes, but Up & Up maintained structural integrity throughout. Again, not a dramatic difference from other store brands, but a consistently noticeable small improvement.

The Target Shopping Experience

I never thought I’d write about how the shopping experience at a particular store affects a nicotine gum review, but here we are. And honestly, it matters more than you’d think.

Target stores are generally pleasant places to be. Clean, well-lit, well-organized. The health and wellness section is easy to find. The Up & Up nicotine gum is displayed near the Nicorette, same as every other store, but Target’s shelving tends to be better organized and more clearly labeled.

Why does this matter? Because during a quit attempt, your emotional state is fragile. You’re irritable. You’re anxious. You’re craving cigarettes. Walking into a chaotic, crowded, fluorescent-lit big box store can make all of that worse. Walking into a Target that’s clean and relatively calm feels different. I know this sounds precious, but I’m being honest about what the experience was like.

Drive Up is Target’s curbside pickup service, and it’s excellent. Order on the Target app, drive to the store, park in the designated spot, and someone brings your order to your car in minutes. Free, no minimum purchase. During my quit, I used Drive Up for nicotine gum at least a dozen times. It’s the fastest way to get gum when you’re running low and don’t want to browse through a store.

Target same-day delivery through Shipt is also an option, though it requires a Shipt membership ($99/year) or a per-delivery fee. If you already have Shipt, it’s incredibly convenient. If not, it’s probably not worth signing up just for nicotine gum.

The Target app itself is clean and easy to use. Checking inventory at your local store, clipping Circle offers, and placing Drive Up orders are all straightforward. The app is better than Walgreens’ and on par with CVS’s.

Target’s Unique Position

Target occupies a unique space in the nicotine gum market. It’s not the cheapest option (that’s Walmart). It doesn’t have the best loyalty program for pharmacy items (that’s CVS). It doesn’t run BOGO sales on its store brand gum like Walgreens does.

What Target has is a slightly better product in a slightly better shopping experience at a competitive price. It’s the store brand for people who notice small quality differences and are willing to pay a marginal premium for them.

That sounds like it shouldn’t matter when you’re talking about nicotine gum. But the whole point of nicotine gum is that you chew it many times a day for many weeks. Small quality improvements compound over hundreds of pieces. The slightly better taste, the slightly better texture, the slightly more pleasant shopping experience. These add up to an overall experience that’s a notch above other store brands.

Who Should Buy Up & Up Nicotine Gum

Target regulars. If you already shop at Target for groceries, household items, or anything else, picking up Up & Up nicotine gum during your regular trip is the obvious move. No extra stop, no extra effort.

RedCard holders. That automatic 5% off makes the pricing competitive with Walmart on an everyday basis, no sale hunting required.

Quality-conscious generic buyers. If you’ve tried Equate or another store brand and found the taste lacking, but you’re not willing to pay Nicorette prices, Up & Up is the natural middle ground.

People who value convenience. Drive Up pickup is genuinely best-in-class among the major retailers. If you value your time and hate standing in pharmacy lines, Target’s pickup experience is hard to beat.

Parents. This is oddly specific but hear me out. A lot of people who are quitting smoking have kids. Target is already a regular destination for many parents. Buying your nicotine gum where you already buy diapers, snacks, and school supplies just makes sense. One trip instead of two.

Who Should Look Elsewhere

Extreme budget buyers. If you’re counting every dollar, Walmart Equate saves you $3 to $5 per 160-count box. Over a full quit, that adds up. If money is truly tight, Equate is the pragmatic choice.

People who want BOGO deals. Target doesn’t run BOGO offers on their nicotine gum with the frequency that Walgreens does. If you’re a deal-hunter who checks the weekly circular religiously, Walgreens’ occasional BOGO free promotions can’t be beat.

People who don’t live near a Target. Target has about 1,900 stores in the US. That’s a lot, but it’s fewer than Walmart’s 4,700 or CVS’s 9,000. In rural areas, Target might not be accessible without a significant drive.

People who want maximum flavor variety. Up & Up’s selection is limited. If you want fruit flavors or multiple mint options, Nicorette is the only brand that delivers real variety.

Comparison to Other Store Brands

Here’s the quick rundown of where Up & Up falls in the generic nicotine gum hierarchy:

Taste ranking (among generics): Up & Up is first. The mint flavor is cleaner and lasts longer than CVS, Walgreens, or Equate.

Price ranking (regular retail): Third, behind Equate (cheapest) and roughly tied with CVS. With RedCard, it moves to second.

Texture ranking: Tied for first with CVS. Both are slightly smoother and better-constructed than Walgreens and Equate.

Availability: Last among the big four. Fewer Target stores means fewer access points. Not a problem in suburbs and cities, potentially a problem in rural areas.

Overall shopping experience: First. Target’s stores, app, and Drive Up service create the most pleasant purchasing experience for a mundane pharmacy product.

If I had to recommend one generic nicotine gum to someone who doesn’t obsess over getting the absolute lowest price, I’d recommend Up & Up. The taste advantage is real, the quality is consistent, and the Target shopping experience makes the whole process slightly less miserable than it has to be.

My Experience Over Time

I used Up & Up nicotine gum for about four weeks during the middle of my quit. I’d already been through Nicorette and CVS Health at that point, so I had a solid basis for comparison.

During those four weeks, I chewed roughly 8 to 10 pieces per day of the 4mg coated mint. My cravings were managed effectively. No breakthrough cravings that felt different from what I’d experienced on other brands. The nicotine delivery was consistent and reliable, which is exactly what you want.

I noticed I looked forward to my gum slightly more with Up & Up than I had with CVS. The better taste made the chew-and-park routine a little less tedious. That’s a small psychological advantage that compounds over time. When your nicotine replacement method is something you tolerate rather than dread, you’re more likely to stick with it.

I also appreciated that the gum didn’t give me any unique side effects. Same hiccups, jaw soreness, and occasional heartburn as every other brand. Nothing worse, nothing different. The universal nicotine gum experience.

Final Verdict

Target’s Up & Up nicotine gum is the best-tasting generic nicotine gum I’ve tried. Not by a mile, but by enough to notice over weeks of daily use. It’s competitively priced, especially with a RedCard, and the Target Drive Up service makes purchasing it as painless as possible.

It’s underrated because Target isn’t a pharmacy chain. People don’t think of Target when they think of smoking cessation products. They think of CVS or Walgreens. But Target’s Up & Up brand quietly delivers a product that’s a step above the typical generic in taste and texture while remaining significantly cheaper than Nicorette.

If you shop at Target, try it. If you’ve been disappointed by the taste of Equate or another store brand, try it. If you want a generic nicotine gum that doesn’t make you feel like you’re compromising, try it.

It’s still generic gum. It’s still nicotine polacrilex. It still tastes like medicine underneath the mint. But it’s the most refined version of that experience I found outside of the Nicorette brand, and at roughly half the price. For a product you’ll chew hundreds of times during your quit, that refinement is worth the small premium over Equate.

Your quit doesn’t care which brand you chew. But you might. And if you do, Up & Up is the generic that gets the details a little more right than the competition.