Walkers and Mars reveal why beloved snacks get discontinued

Powys County Times

06-05-2025

Discontinued snack items are a popular topic in the UK, with many disappearing and being brought back to supermarket shelves over the years.
This can cause frustration for some shoppers who see fan-favourite items get removed, and it might cause them to wonder why it happens.
A couple of insiders at Walkers and Mars have revealed the process for why the companies discontinue certain snacks.
Plus, they have shared some details on what customers can do if they want a removed item brought back to the supermarkets.
Why do companies like Mars and Walkers discontinue snacks?
Sometimes, the reason a snack gets discontinued is as simple as there being limited shelf space in supermarkets.
Steph Herbert, head of marketing at Walkers, has shared some insight with The Sun on this topic.
They explained: "The reality is that within shops and the customers that we work with, they only hold a certain number of products on their shelves at any one time."
That means that when a new flavour is brought in, often something else might have to go.
"We know that our fans' taste buds are always evolving, so we opt to make changes to our line-up and we'll maybe swap one flavour in for another flavour," Steph continued.
Lizzy Dinsdale, principal chocolate scientist at Mars, says that not only do brands look at what's popular right now, but they'll also be trying to predict what customers will want to eat in five and even 10 years' time.
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Why do discontinued snacks get brought back?
Companies often take a look at customer response to items being discontinued to see if it is worth bringing back.
For example, Mars brought back its Crispy Rolls after they were removed from shelves in 2022.
This came after an online petition to bring the product back hit over 8,000 signatures.
Lizzy said: "I think that's the most demand for a product I've seen in a while!"
For Walkers, their most popular recent relaunch has been the iconic Worcester Sauce crisp.
Steph admitted crisp fans "feel very attached to Worcester Sauce" and the flavour has a "real loyal fan base".
That's why this year the flavour landed back on shelves - this time as part of a collaboration with Lea & Perrins Worcester Sauce.
What can shoppers do to bring back a discontinued snack?
The good news for shoppers is that they can get fan-favourite snacks brought back if enough people express an interest.
Lizzy shared: "At Mars, bringing back an old favourite is all about listening to our consumers.
"When we see a clear desire from people for a certain product to return, whether on social media or via a petition, we take note.
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"We get hundreds of requests from customers asking us to bring back their favourite products, and listening to consumer feedback is key for us."
Meanwhile, Steph says Walkers is contacted "more than you'd probably think" about bringing back old flavours, and every comment from fans gets read by the team.
"In the last two years, we've had requests to bring back over 60 different types of flavours of Walkers," she says.