Toblerone, one of the most recognizable in the world, withdraws its black version from the UK shelves, signaling the end of a long era for chocolate lovers.
Mondelēz, which produces the Toblerone chocolate, has announced that it has made the “difficult decision” to stop the 360g of black chocolate bar, citing “changing consumer preferences”.
“We understand that this decision can disappoint some consumers, but we continue to invest in the Toblerone brand,” a company spokesman said, without clarifying whether the product will be withdrawn from other markets outside the United Kingdom.
The announcement comes amid Easter holidays in the United Kingdom, a period when chocolate sales are growing. Social media “caught fire” with consumers to prevent what is left, resulting in exhaustion of the product.
Toblerone and her past
Tblerone, in its distinctive triangular shape, is a creation of Theodor Tbler. Its name comes from its surname and “Torrone”, the Italian traditional sweet with almonds and honey. For decades, it has been a symbol of the duty -free airport stores and supermarket shelves.
This is not the first time Toblerone has been discussed. In 2023, Mondelēz announced that the image of Mount Mount Mountains will be removed from the packaging due to the transfer of part of production outside Switzerland. A similar disruption was caused in 2016, when the gaps between the chocolate peaks increased.
‘Another chocolate goodbye’
The withdrawal of the black toblerone is added to the long list of chocolates that have retired in recent years, such as Mars Delight, Cadbury Dream and Rowntree’s Texan. In 2023, Nestlé confirmed that it stopped production of Breakaway due to reduced sales, while Milky Way Crispy Rolls withdrew in 2022 – to return later with new variations such as Twix and Bounty.
At the same time, the chocolate market is influenced by trends and social media. The recent craziness around the so -called “Dubai chocolate” – stuffed with peanut cream and roasted Kaddaifi – has led many consumers to queue out of Lidl stores, which have it at £ 4.99, at a more affordable price of the 10 -pounds of the premium.
Shrinkflation: Accuracy and “shrink” products
The news comes at a time when cocoa prices have reached historically high, affecting the price of chocolate. According to data from the British Statistical Service, the price of chocolate increased by 13.6% in one year by March.
In addition, the consumer group which? He found that Easter egg prices increased by up to 50% compared to 2023. These are not only increases in prices, but also to “shrink” products, that is, reduction of its content – the so -called Shrinkflation: White Twix Egg by TESCO was reduced from 316g to 258g. This is equivalent to an increase of 47% per 100g.
Correspondingly, Cadbury Creme Eggs in a package of 5 pieces increased from £ 2.62 to £ 4 in a year, according to the same survey.
The withdrawal of black toblerone may be just another indication of the rapid change in consumer habits and harsh reality in the chocolate area.
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