I think we all have some foods in our rotation where, were they not blanketed in nostalgia, we would probably give them the side eye as adults.
Well you might need to start stocking up on some of your favorite staples, as Time magazine recently released a list of foods that might soon disappear from grocery store shelves due to declining sales.
It’s no secret that customer tastes are changing. Time says that today’s buyer is less brand loyal and more apt to buy generic products or private labels items from the likes of big boxes such as Costco. They’re also more health conscious, says Time, which means some are falling out of love with the highly processed boxes and cans from their childhood.
One of the at-risk items identified was Hamburger Helper, said to be a victim of declining ground beef sales. It seems boxed dinners are falling out of favor, and the Wall Street Journal said Helper is even losing market share there – accounting for 40% of boxed dinner sales where it was at 61% ten years back.
But in case you’re worried about the smiling glove logo, fear not – he released a 5-song rap album in 2016, so at least his resume and his rhymes are fresh, even if his dinner isn’t.
In the same wheelhouse is Chef Boyardee, which Time’s list says has been a drag on parent company ConAgra over the past few years. In June the company killed 150 jobs in Pennsylvania when it shuttered a plant where Chef Boyardee is produced, and insiders suggest that the company is looking to unload the brand.
The list goes on to highlight everything from cereal to bread to sweet treats. I’ll leave some surprises for you if you want to review the whole thing, but just know going into it that there are some things that might cut right to your heart. Spoiler alert – there’s some news about Tootsie Rolls that you’re not going to like.
I'm Anna Wells and this is IEN Now.
