What Starbucks products were conspicuously missing in 2021? Which chips dipped out of grocery stores?
What McDonald's item was nowhere to be found in the U.K.? Keep watching for the answers.
COVID-related supply chain issues forced Frito-Lay to scale back production and focus
on its top flavors. Dill Pickle was not one of those flavors. Its absence was certainly felt.
Disappointed customers tweeted at Frito-Lay directly. On August 13, one user wrote,
"i'm a big fan of your pickle chips and i really hope they aren't discontinued
because i never see them in stores anymore ..."
The company responded three days later:
"We had to simplify our processes & have *temporarily* paused the production of this snack.
We know that's disappointing, but rest assured, our plans are to start back production ASAP!"
Many more users went on to beg the company to reinstate their favorite snack.
And it seems their prayers were answered. In a September 20 tweet, the company confirmed
plants to restart production, and the chips became sporadically available at Target and on Amazon.
Starbucks has also fallen victim to supply chain issues,
which have affected a total of 25 menu items. Many of the chain's stores have run out of food items,
as well as cups, lids, and straws. Drink components have also been impacted,
including hazelnut syrup. CEO Kevin Johnson said customers roaring back to stores had an impact:
"When you turn, turn this on so rapidly, it really tests the elasticity of the supply chain."
Some customers pointed out that bottles of the syrup
were still available in grocery stores. One wrote,
"How the f--- the Starbucks inside Target run out of hazelnut syrup?????? GO GET IT."
Supply chain issues mean that though customers could purchase bottles from large retailers,
Starbucks stores couldn't procure supplies in the bulk amounts they needed to operate.
But that means hazelnut devotees can still get their fix. The
Starbucks hazelnut syrup is available on Amazon.
Oat milk has quickly become the second best-selling alternative milk. With its
sudden popularity has come some downfalls. In the wake of 2021's widespread supply chain issues,
the United States has faced a shortage of its new favorite beverage.
Starbucks ran out of oat milk within the same month it was added to its menus.
Part of the scarcity is related to the inability of Oatly,
the top-selling oat milk brand by far, to produce enough product to fulfill demand.
The company revealed in mid-2021 that it was only able to fulfill 70% of orders. In response,
Oatly has pledged to, quote, "increase production by 200% by the end of 2022."
That is, if drought conditions don't inhibit their progress. The U.S. oat crop of 2021 was
the smallest it's been in any year on record. This small oat crop could make it hard for milk
producers to get their hands on the grain, much less produce enough milk to outweigh demand.
"All Dressed" Ruffles blend the flavors of ketchup, barbecue,
and salt and vinegar into one chip.
"They're salty. They're savory. They're sweet. And they're Canadian?"
It's a top flavor in Canada, and it was starting to make inroads into
the U.S. market when the flavor was temporarily suspended in late 2020.
Dissatisfied customers tweeted at Ruffles, asking when their favorite flavor would be
back in stores. Ruffles Support responded with a familiar refrain, stating it had
"temporarily paused the production" with plans "to start back production as soon as possible."
As of the making of this video, they still have not come back to stateside shelves.
You can import the Canadian version on Amazon if you are really jonesing,
but even the bags from the Great White North are back-ordered.
McDonald's restaurants across the United Kingdom have faced milkshake shortages in 2021. Thanks to
a combination of Brexit- and COVID-related supply chain issues, McDonald's asked its supplier to
stop delivering shake mixes so that it could, quote, "assure supply across its broader menu."
"Two strawberry milkshakes, please." "Eh, sorry, our milkshake machine isn’t working
at the moment." "No milkshakes?" "Nah, no milkshakes. Sorry."
Luckily, the chain made it through most of the summer before making that call.
In addition to suspending milkshake mix deliveries, McDonald's restaurants across
England, Wales, and Scotland were forced to take most bottled beverages off the menu, too.
Britain is facing a shipping crisis that likely led to McDonald's decision. According to CNN,
by mid-2021 the U.K. was short of nearly 100,000 truck drivers. Of those drivers needed,
around 20,000 were EU nationals who moved out of the country following Brexit.
Compounding the issue are new COVID regulations, which have strict requirements for self-isolation.
Despite pausing production on 20% of its products to focus on the big sellers, Kraft-Heinz has not
been able to keep up with demand for Lunchables. The popular snack packs have been flying off
the shelves, and as of late 2021, were becoming increasingly difficult to find.
The Lunchables line has seen demand double in the course of only five years, according to Today.
Parents struggling under the pressures of the pandemic have likely fueled this growth
as they search for easy ways to feed their children. This increased demand,
coupled with supply chain issues, has resulted in Lunchables becoming more scarce.
As the news made its way across parenting websites,
panic began to swell. In an email to Today Food, Kraft Heinz responded,
"We're actively investing in our supply chains and have teams working fast and furiously so
our retailers and consumers can get more of the Kraft Heinz products they love."
All four of Starbucks' iced green teas were temporarily out of stock in 2021.
The shortage hit at a particularly bad time: June, the beginning of summer and peak iced tea season.
The New York Times reported that customers were visiting multiple stores searching for
iced green teas to no avail. Most stores nationwide have been affected by the issue.
Fortunately, Starbucks seems to be sorting out the shortage. One fan tweeted in early November:
"I came out of my social media hiatus to let y'all know
@starbucks brought back the iced peach green tea lemonade. Y'all be blessed."
The teas appear to be making their way back, but call the store before
you go to avoid disappointment. And remember: It's not your barista's fault.
Coca-Cola released a line of beverages that mixed Coke with coffee in January of 2021,
and the drink saw decent success.
"Now you can take your coffee break...with bubbles."
But as supply chain issues got worse, Coke had to make some tough decisions. The company announced
in May that it was discontinuing Coke Energy to make room for better sellers, including
Coca-Cola with Coffee. But soon, customers began to notice Coca-Cola with Coffee's absence
on shelves. One fan asked directly on Twitter why it was so hard to find. Coca-Cola replied,
"Due to extreme demand on certain products
we are temporarily putting our focus on producing more of those beverages."
It seems like Coke has figured out some of its supply chain issues and once again
ramped up production again on Coca-Cola with Coffee. The product locator on the
Coke website shows the beverage's vanilla version in stock at several major retailers.
At the beginning of 2021, there was a full-on shortage of Grape-Nuts. Fans of the cereal looked
high and low for their favorite healthy breakfast, but when they couldn't get their hands on it,
a Grape-Nuts black market soon arose. Resellers were selling boxes at an
extreme markup. The New York Times reported that one was peddling a four-pack for nearly $60,
so $15 per box. That's a 300% price increase.
Luckily, it seems the chaos has subsided. The beloved cereal returned to stores in March,
and by the end of the month, the shortage was declared over. There was also some financial
relief for those who overpaid, as Grape-Nuts began offering reimbursements. AARP reported that if a
customer paid more than 10 bucks for a box, they could be eligible for a refund of up to $115.
Ben & Jerry's is known for its array of wacky flavors. The variety of interesting mix-ins
is a big part of the company's success. But during the coronavirus pandemic, they became
part of the problem. In an email to a supplier in September 2021, Ben & Jerry's stated that,
quote, "labor shortages continue to drive a limited ability to meet demand," and certain
flavors would be put on indefinite pause. One unfortunate victim was Ice Cream Sammie.
The flavor was introduced in the summer of 2019
and quickly became a fan favorite. Distraught fans pleaded with their Twitter followers
and Ben & Jerry's alike to help them find their favorite flavor. One wrote,
"Yall WHERE is this flavor? It comes and goes so fast because it's the best
cookies and cream flavor ever to be made but impossible to find. HELP."
Help has not arrived just yet, though. As of the making of this video,
Ice Cream Sammie has not made a return to stores.
"Crispy crunchy, flavor-packed bodega snack that rhymes with 'I need those.'"
Another victim of the great Frito-Lay scaledown,
Spicy Nacho Doritos went missing from store shelves for a period of 2021. Customers were
not happy, and began reaching out to Doritos via social media. One Twitter user noted,
"[I] literally jumped for joy at our local No Frills upon discovering a single bag of
Spicy Nacho Doritos. We have noticed a scarcity lately. What's with that??"
Luckily, Doritos confirmed that the pause in production was only temporary.
As of March of 2021, the snack was back. Doritos clarified that the product, quote,
"has a limited distribution for now," but they were working diligently to
get production back to normal. And so it did. The chips are available in stores once again.
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