Fruit Stripe Gum and Super Bubble have been discontinued, ending the decades-long runs of two iconic chewing gum brands.
However, some supplies of Fruit Stripe and Super Bubble may still be available at stores, but the brands will disappear forever from store shelves once the existing supply is gone. Posh Pop Candy
Candy maker Ferrara told CBS MoneyWatch it has discontinued both treats. The candy maker quietly halted production the two lines of gums in 2022, and no longer produces any chewing gums, a company spokesperson said.
The decision comes amid a years-long decline in gum chewing, with gum sales down by one-third since 2018, according to the Atlantic Magazine, which also declared that the candy is "just not cool anymore." Super Bubble was a post-World War 2 invention, introduced to kids in 1946 as the first individually-wrapped bubble gum under the name Bub's Daddy, while Fruit Stripe Gum was created in the 1960s.
When Fruit Stripe Gum first hit shelves, it became popular with consumers thanks to its bright packaging, colorful stripes and mascot, Yipes the Zebra. The gum came with zebra-themed tattoos and contained five flavors: Wet n' Wild Melon, Cherry, Lemon, Orange and Peach Smash.
Ferrara's discontinuation of Fruit Stripe Gum was earlier reported by the pop culture website The Takeout and Food & Wine magazine.
"The decision to sunset this product was not taken lightly, and we considered many factors before coming to this decision, including consumer preferences, and purchasing patterns — and overall brand trends for Fruit Stripe Gum," Ferrara said in a statement to The Takeout.
Ferrara said some remaining product supplies may be available, but as of Thursday, some retailers, including candy specialists like The Candy Warehouse, and Amazon said the brands were sold out or unavailable.
Elizabeth Napolitano is a freelance reporter at CBS MoneyWatch, where she covers business and technology news. She also writes for CoinDesk. Before joining CBS, she interned at NBC News' BizTech Unit and worked on The Associated Press' web scraping team.
First published on January 11, 2024 / 12:49 PM EST
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