The limited edition Kit Kats released in the UK resulted in consumer overstimulation and, in the US, too, consumers are seeing more and more limited editions on the shelves. Some of them seem to be only limited in their packaging, not the actual product.
Candybloggers Cybele, from CandyBlog, and Brian, from Candy Addict, were interviewed in a piece in the New York Times magazine that asked "what is the point of these releases?" The companies don't seem like they're asking consumers if they want to see them as part of the "regular" line-up, but there are so many limited edition candies on store shelves that they don't seem all that special anymore.
Personally, I don't mind seeing a new product every time I go into the store, but it can be annoying if a new favorite is never seen again after only a short run. There is no way for us, the consumers, to tell if this trend will continue or not - but do we want it to?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-10-2006 @ 9:06AM
Laura said...
Not hot. Give me a Hershey Bar with Almonds any day of the week!
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7-10-2006 @ 9:49AM
mcspacebar said...
I dont fully understand these "Limited releases "either.
Are they test marketing, or what??
What is the point if they are not?
Do they just want to piss off the consumer by maybe perchance coming out with some new permutation that people like, then making it disappear? I find these very frustrating, when they come out with one I actually like.
Dark chocoloate KitKat for instance. way better than the milk chocolate one as the original tends to melt as soon as you touch it.
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7-10-2006 @ 10:42AM
Brian said...
That link to the NY Times article doesn't seem to work for everyone. Try this one if it doesn't work for you:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/09/magazine/09wwln_consumed.html?ex=1310097600&en=b2fc1fe437c26f20&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss
and if that is too long to link, try this:
http://tinyurl.com/l8my5
Brian
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7-10-2006 @ 11:01AM
calamari said...
The "limited edition" label is meant to create a sense of urgency, so that the consumer buys a candy bar and tries it NOW, for fear it'll be gone next week.
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7-10-2006 @ 11:21AM
Kat said...
I can't really speculate, since I'm in the US. I've tried the "limited edition" dark and white chocolate versions that were released here, and they were okay... wouldn't buy them again, though. I don't generally like the limited edition stuff, for fear that as soon as I get hooked, they'll pull the product.
Like Pepsi Blue. I didn't like it at first, but my dad bought a ton without taste-testing...and he didn't like it either. I was drinking it just to get rid of it, got hooked, and then they killed it.
On the other hand, I really do love Mt. Dew's limited Grape flavor that came out the past couple of Halloweens.
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7-10-2006 @ 12:42PM
clea said...
i do look for the Kit-Kat limiteds, because many of them are really good. What i'd like to see is seasonal returns of the best received flavors. In Japan Kit-Kat has very good green tea and red bean flavor varieties which are available only part of the year.
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7-10-2006 @ 9:43PM
spline9 said...
I've tried the KitKat coffee flavor.
It was quite foul. Stale, burnt coffee foul. It couldve been good, so good. It just seemed like the flavor was forced. It made my girlfriend cry, those bastards.
I'd give the others a shot, though. For some reason, I enjoy the abuse.
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7-10-2006 @ 10:46PM
chip said...
These limited edition Kitkats are SO popular in Japan. So far I've tried these flavors:
green tea
red bean
annindofu (some kind of almond flavored tofu dessert)
cherry blossom (a little lotion-y)
kir royale
black chocolate
wine
milk
strawberry (2 kinds)
green tea kakigori with red beans
grape (kind of gross)
yogurt (gross)
maple
fruit parfait (really good)
latte
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7-13-2006 @ 1:10AM
Adriane said...
Man, I love the new Kitkat with the white chocolate outside and chocolate waffer inside... But cripes I agree, all those special editions are just crazy. Like Oreo...how many darned versions are they gonna make? Will they ever top the original? Probably not.
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