A brand with a fifty-year history, Fruit Stripe gum, is being discontinued.
If there is enough outcry, it could be resurrected from the ashes. Other products have before. Iconic Candy, a company in New Jersey, has brought back many beloved candy brands, including Regal Crown, Reed’s, and Creme Savers. They also have plans to bring back Bubble Jug and Ouch! Bubble Gum. The company’s yearly revenues have increased from 20% to 40%. Maybe Fruit Stripe will be picked up. With its brightly striated appearance and packaging, Fruit Stripe had lost its allure, and not every vintage product does well in sales.
According to Ferrara Candy, the firm responsible for the brand based in Chicago’s suburbs, the decision to discontinue this product was not made hastily. The decision to withdraw Fruit Stripe was made after carefully considering customer preferences and purchase trends. But even Ferrara seems confident in the retro-candy industry, keeping classic favorites like Jujyfruits, Boston Baked Beans, and Atomic Fireball in stock.
The National Confectioners Association predicts that candy sales will reach $54.3 billion by 2027, up from $42.6 billion in 2022, proving Americans still have a sweet appetite. Customers have sought solace in the past, particularly during the COVID-19 epidemic, and this has contributed to the industry’s current prosperity via nostalgia.
According to marketing expert Bre Metcalf-Oshinsky, the present social and political situation, with conflicts happening in the Middle East and Ukraine, contributes to the yearning for comforting nostalgia.
Fruit Stripe Gum may still be available at certain stores nationwide despite Ferrara Candy’s tough choice to end product production.
James Parker established the Ferrara Candy Company in the late 1960s, and it just recorded a 4.5% rise in revenue compared to the prior year.
Fans of the company’s previous Saturday morning cartoons will recognize the zebra mascot Yipes and his catchphrase, “Yipes! Stripes!”, which debuted in 2016.
