Mars Wrigley will remove Bounty bars from its Celebrations chocolate packs ahead of Christmas in the UK, but the move will not extend to Ireland.
The UK trial comes after a survey found that 39% of consumers want coconut treats to be done away with forever.
Customers at selected Tesco Christmas markets in the UK will be able to exchange trays bought in store on that day for a new ‘No Bounty’ alternative until December 18.
In a statement this morning, Mars said the trial is “a UK-only campaign, with no plans to bring it to Ireland at present”, reported RTE.
The limited edition canisters will include additional candies from Mars, Snickers, Milky Way, Galaxy and Maltesers to make up for the missing Bounty bars.
Mars Wrigley said his own research of 2,000 Britons between the ages of 18 and 65 suggested that 18% would be upset to find that only Bounty bars were left in the bathtub, while 58% believed it would lead to a family argument. .
While 39% wanted the bars to last forever, 22% liked Bounty, the last of all bathtub options.
Some 28% felt that coconut had no place in a chocolate bar.
However, Mars Wrigley said it was not yet ready to make a final decision after 18% named the Bounty as their favourite.
Surveys suggested it was popular with a more mature palette, with 38% of people over the age of 55 choosing it as their favorite bar.
A bounty return program followed last year, where bounty haters were able to return their unwanted chocolates and exchange them for Maltesers after the holiday season.
Emily Owen, Senior Brand Manager at Celebrations, said: “Last year, we gave customers the opportunity to return their unwanted Bounty chocolates. 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. And to those loyal – and secret – Bounty lovers out there, there’s still a chance they’ll make a return after the trial,” reports RTE.
The trial will launch at 40 locations at Tesco’s Christmas Market, starting next week in Manchester.
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