Iconic lolly axed from Coles and Woolies’ shelves
<p>Coles has confirmed it has removed Starburst from its shelves, joining Woolworths which quietly axed the fruit lollies in December 2015.</p>
<p>“Unfortunately we can confirm that Starburst varieties have been removed from our national range,” a Coles spokesperson wrote in response to a post from a Starburst fan on Facebook.</p>
<p>“We understand how frustrating it can be to see a favourite product disappear from the shelf and we can assure you that this decision is not one made lightly.</p>
<p>“It’s our job to provide customers with choice and value but with limited shelf space we have to balance providing choice with making sure the most popular products customers want to buy are available every time they shop. Keeping products that are not selling on shelf makes this difficult.</p>
<p>“We’re sorry for the disappointment and we’ll ensure your feedback is shared with our Merch Team so they’re aware.”</p>
<p>Another panicked customer asked why the Starburst lollies had disappeared.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img width="499" height="280" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7818380/1_499x280.jpg" alt="1 (138)"/></p>
<p> “I buy [them] for parties. I’ve been buying these from you for eight years and now they are gone,” he wrote.</p>
<p>In response, Coles said, “We have decided to no longer carry Starburst as we have numerous brands in the range and they were catering for the same need. We have taken them out and added segments of the market we were not covering well.”</p>
<p>After finding out that Starburst lollies were axed from Coles and Woolworths, one fan started a <a href="https://www.change.org/p/coles-and-woolworths-starburst-back-on-shelves" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Change.org petition</span></strong></a> to restock them. The petition has over 1,000 signatures.</p>
<p>"I think it’s a cop-out when your grocery store deletes lines that you’ve always purchased, citing no demand for the product,” petition creator Katherine wrote.</p>
<p>“I think it’s a giant conspiracy to demand more money from companies for their shelf space. I get that this isn’t exactly an earth-shattering, world-changing issue.</p>
<p>“Everyone knows, though, how annoying it is to go to a grocery store to find your favourite items are being deleted in favour of home-brand products or just deleted altogether.</p>
<p>A Woolworths spokeswoman said, “We discontinued ranging Starburst products in late 2015. We continue to stock a wide range of delicious chocolates and sweets which are very popular with our customers and great value.”</p>
<p>It has been confirmed that IGA are still stocking Starburst. </p>
