Some Greater Des Moines convenience and grocery stores will be the first in the country to sell Zonnic, a new nicotine replacement therapy gum being rolled out by Niconovum USA, a subsidiary of the second-largest U.S. tobacco company, Reynolds American Inc.

Beginning Sept. 3, the nicotine gum product will be available in convenience store chains such as Casey’s General Stores Inc., Kum & Go LC, Git-n-Go Convenience Stores Inc. and Al’s Corner Oil Co. (Sparky’s One-Stop), as well as in supermarket chains such as Hy-Vee Inc., Fareway Stores Inc. and Dahl’s Foods Inc., said Tommy Payne, Niconovum’s president.

Zonnic represents the first U.S. product entry for Niconovum since it was acquired by Reynolds American in 2009. Niconuvum was formed in Sweden 12 years ago and has been selling nicotine replacement therapy products there since 2008.

The company said it believes its positioning of the nicotine gum – packaged in 10-piece packs that sell for about $3 at retail locations where adult smokers typically purchase cigarettes – will enable it to better connect with smokers who want to quit. Each pack comes with health information and instructions for a 12-week quitting program.

Global sales of nicotine replacement products were estimated at $4.5 billion in 2011, and are expected to grow by 4.5 percent annually through 2018, according to a recent report released by GBI Research.