The Nestle confectionery company has discontinued its Quality Street Collisions sharing bar, a mere year after its initial launch in August 2023. The decision was driven by lackluster sales compared to other products in the Quality Street range. The Collisions bar, featuring a combination of caramel, hazelnut, and hazelnut pieces layered within a milk chocolate shell, was met with initial enthusiasm from consumers, with many expressing excitement about the fusion of popular Quality Street flavors. However, this initial positive reception failed to translate into sustained sales, ultimately leading to its demise.
The 235g bar, which retailed for £2.50 in major supermarkets like Asda, offered a larger format for enjoying the combined flavors. Despite the discontinuation of the Collisions bar, individual Purple One bars, featuring a similar flavor profile of caramel and hazelnut within a milk chocolate shell, remain available at most major supermarkets for £1.35 (87g). This allows consumers to still enjoy the favored flavor combination, albeit in a smaller, individual format.
The discontinuation of the Quality Street Collisions bar highlights the challenges faced by food manufacturers in a competitive market. Products are frequently tweaked, reformulated, or even discontinued based on a variety of factors, including fluctuating consumer preferences, cost considerations, and government regulations. The “sugar tax,” for example, has played a significant role in driving recipe changes across many food and beverage products. Manufacturers often seek to balance consumer demand with cost-effectiveness, sometimes substituting ingredients to manage rising production costs while maintaining stable retail prices. This delicate balancing act can sometimes lead to the disappearance of beloved products, as seen with the temporary removal of Tango Cherry from shelves due to reformulation, and the sweetener swap in Lucozade drinks.
Beyond the Collisions bar discontinuation, Quality Street has also seen other changes in its product offerings for 2024. The personalized Quality Street tin service, offered at John Lewis stores, has been suspended this year. While customers can still create their own custom mix of chocolates at pick-and-mix counters, the option to purchase a personalized tin for £17 is no longer available, leaving only the standard £12 non-customized tin as an option. However, Nestlé has introduced a new version of its 813g Quality Street tin, highlighting the brand’s heritage in Halifax, where it originated in 1936. This tin can be purchased empty and filled at John Lewis pick-and-mix stations, offering a degree of customization for those seeking a specific selection of chocolates.
For budget-conscious shoppers, alternative options are available. A 600g plastic tub can be found at Lidl for £4, and Home Bargains offers a 300g sharing bag for £2.99. Nestlé has also continued its strategy of reintroducing nostalgic flavors, bringing back the coffee creme for a second Christmas in a row. This flavor, absent for over two decades, is available at select John Lewis pick-and-mix stations and in a limited-edition cracker at Waitrose and John Lewis.
In a move towards greater sustainability, Nestlé is piloting paper Quality Street tubs in 60 Tesco supermarkets. This trial aims to assess consumer acceptance of the new packaging, which features a resealable lid and a design echoing the classic Quality Street purple. This initiative follows the controversial 2022 shift from the traditional foil and plastic wrappers to waxed paper, a move aimed at improved recyclability but met with resistance from some consumers attached to the iconic colorful wrappers. The introduction of paper tubs doesn’t imply an immediate phasing out of existing plastic tubs and metal tins, both of which remain readily available. For those seeking savings on chocolate, opting for supermarket own-brand options, comparing prices across different retailers, looking for discounted items marked with yellow stickers, and buying larger bars (where the price per 100g is often lower) can help manage expenses.
