Sweet grief: Lollipop lovers lament Starburst's departure from Australia

Australian lollipop lovers mourn the loss of Starburst fruit flavored chewing gum, with distributor Mars-Wrigley confirming it has discontinued the brand.

Once a star of birthday parties and movie nights, the candy's absence from shelves was not noticed until early August, when a TikTok lamenting the disappearance drew 270,000 views and more than 1 000 comments.

TikTok creator Nariman Dein described her inability to find Starburst lollipops as "a conspiracy theory". In response to the attention the video garnered, Mars-Wrigley released a statement confirming the departure was a reality and not a conspiracy.

"Our Starburst® products are imported from 'Europe and like many companies that import products from overseas, the brand has been exposed to supply chain difficulties and increasing cost pressures over the past two years,' said a porter. company's wording. "After considering all options, we have made the difficult decision to discontinue the brand in Australia from June 2022."

A carrier Mars-Wrigley's word confirmed to Guardian Australia that the brand's discontinuation was a long-term business decision, not a strategy. e short term viral marketing.

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The decision to stop importing Starburst comes after a steady decline in popularity. Woolworths dropped the range from their range in 2015, followed by Coles in 2018.

Mars-Wrigley's statement continues: "As a proud Australian manufacturer for over 60 years, we are taking this opportunity to prioritize and invest in the brands and products we manufacture locally in Australia, such as M&Ms®, Maltesers®, Skittles®, Snickers®, Extra® and Eclipse®.”

The decision does not mean that confectionery will be entirely absent from Australian shelves: parallel importers, such as specialist confectioners, can still stock the products.