Controversy as Celebrations removes divisive chocolate bar from tubs

[dutchman]

The new boxes will hit Tesco stores next week and will run until the middle of December



For years there has been 'controversy' and family debates over the place of a Bounty in Celebrations chocolate tubs.

And a new survey, completed by Mars Wrigley, Celebrations creators, found that 39 per cent of buyers want the coconut chocolate banished for good. In response to this finding, a pre-Christmas trial of a new chocolate tub is going ahead, starting from next week.

These limited edition tubs will include everyone's usual favourites, Mars, Snickers, Milky Way, Galaxy and Maltesers. They will add more of these sweet treats to make up for the missing of Bounty bars.

Selected Tesco Christmas Market sites will also be offering an exchange on tubs that have been bought in store that day for a 'No Bounty' alternative. These tubs will be available for shoppers until December 18.

Mars Wrigley said its own research of 2,000 Britons aged between 18 and 65 suggested that 18 per cent would feel irritated to find only Bounty bars were left in the tub, while 58 per cent believed it would lead to a family argument.

While 39 per cent wanted the bars gone for good, 22 per cent liked Bounty the least of all the tub’s options. Some 28 per cent were of the opinion that coconut had no place in a chocolate bar at all.

However, Mars Wrigley said it was not prepared to make a final decision yet after 18 per cent named the Bounty as their favourite. Polling suggested it was popular with a more mature palette, with 38 per cent of over-55s choosing it as their preferred bar.

This announcement follows a Bounty Return Scheme last year, in which Bounty-haters were able to return their unwanted chocolates and swap them for Maltesers after the Christmas period. Celebrations senior brand manager Emily Owen said: "Last year, we gave customers the opportunity to return their unwanted Bounty chocolates. Now, off the back of public demand, we’re trialling taking them out of the tub altogether.

"You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone. And to those loyal – and secret – Bounty lovers out there, there’s still a chance they’ll make a return after the trial."

The trial is rolling out across 40 Tesco Christmas Market locations, beginning at Baguley Extra in Manchester on November 8 and ending at Gallions Reach Extra in London on December 18.

[dutchman]

All the important stories here folks!

[rebbonk]

Another cheap marketing ploy, using very dodgy research. The upshot is that Mars Wrigley will save money, and/or increase its profits. Don't be under any illusion about that!

[dutchman]

I was unable to find any mini-Mars bars this Halloween for some reason and was really miffed. Morrisons had every other mini-bar from the same company but not that one.

[rebbonk]

If in doubt, blame the situation in Ukraine...

Supermarkets facing Mars Bar shortage due to 'production issues'

The popular product is also appearing as out of stock on retailers' websites

Chocoholics will be gutted to discover that some of their sweet treats are missing from supermarket shelves.

Mars Bars are currently like gold dust due to 'production issues'. The popular product is also appearing as out of stock on retailers' websites.

Some shops in the UK are reportedly not expecting deliveries for at least a fortnight. Mars Wrigley, which produces Mars, Galaxy, Snickers and Milky War bars, admitted that it was experiencing high levels of demand, reports The Mirror.

The manufacturer added: "[We want to] reassure the British public that our much-loved brands are still available nationwide”. One major retailer told The Guardian : "It looks like a production issue on Mars' end may be causing gaps across retailers."

Britain is facing widespread food shortages for a number of reasons, including spiking wholesale prices, weather conditions and international import issues, particularly because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Last month, the US chocolate company Hershey warned it would fall short of meeting demand for the all-important Halloween and Christmas holiday seasons this year.

The firm blamed a scarcity of raw ingredients and difficulties in securing suppliers. Pandemic-induced global supply chain disruptions and the Russia-Ukraine war have crunched supplies of cocoa, edible oil and other food ingredients, pinching production lines of packaged food companies around the world.

Hershey chief executive officer Michele Buck said those issues, along with the company's focus on meeting demand during non-holiday periods, would lead to a likely shortage during Halloween. However, she added that sales will still top last year.

The period around the Halloween holiday in October is Hershey's busiest time of the year, making up about 10% of the company’s annual sales. Meanwhile in the UK, potato prices have dramatically increased following the recent heatwave, with high temperatures having punished crops across the country.

The British Potato Trade Association said July's record-breaking temperatures had occurred just after a drought, damaging spuds. A spokesman said: "If it stays dry much longer we are looking at seriously reduced yields. Now is the critical time for moisture and growth. There are growers that have stopped irrigating because of a lack of water.’’

Brussel sprouts are also among the vegetables ravaged by the heatwave, meaning many could be in for either a great escape or hearty disappointment when it comes to adding the greens to this year's Christmas supper. Fish and chip shops are facing the largest dilemma, as the price of both fish and cooking oil have also recently rocketed - partially due to a shortage of whitefish normally caught in Russian waters.

The National Federation of Fish Friers’ had said between 20 and 40 chip shops were shutting in Britain every month. But it's not just chips that have been affected. In total, the invasion of Ukraine has cost the UK curry industry a total of £4.2billion. The nation under siege is also a leading exporter of sunflower oil - a main ingredient for many Indian breads and dishes.

Source: https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/supermarkets-facing-mars-bar-shortage-24885334