UK fans of Bounty bars have been left fuming after it was announced that the chocolate treat would be removed from Celebrations boxes as part of an upcoming pre-Christmas trial.
According to ITV, Mars Wrigley is attempting to omit the coconut-loaded sweet after 39% of consumers said they wanted the chocolate axed from Celebrations completely.
Set to be rolled out across 40 TescoChristmas Market locations in the next two months, the limited-edition tubs will include extra Mars, Snickers, Milky Way, Galaxy and Maltesers to make up for the missing bars. The news follows a Bounty Return Scheme last year, in which Bounty haters were able to swap their unwanted chocolates for Maltesers after the festive period.
In a survey of 2,000 Britons aged between 18 and 65, the company said that almost one in five people would feel annoyed if they were given a tub of just Bounty bars, while 58% claimed it would lead to a family argument. Elsewhere, 39% of chocolate fiends wanted the bars gone for good, and 22% liked Bounty the least of all the tub’s options.
However, Mars Wrigley said it would not rush to a final decision after 18% of those surveyed named Bounty as their favourite chocolate. “Last year, we gave customers the opportunity to return their unwanted Bounty chocolates,” Celebrationssenior brand manager Emily Owen said. “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.”
Customers at the selected sites will be able to exchange their in-store tubs purchased for a new “No Bounty” alternative until December 18.
