Kraft cheese singles and Kraft peanut butter (pictured) are making a comeback after disappearing from grocery store shelves earlier this year
Kraft cheese singles and Kraft peanut butter are making a comeback thanks to the persistence of dedicated Australian fans.
The brand, which has been a staple in the country since 1926, began to disappear from supermarket shelves in May, with a complete removal planned for the end of the year.
While products like Vegemite were stripped of the Kraft name and logo, Kraft Singles were replaced with UK brand Dairylea Slices and the peanut spread was rebranded as The Good Nut.
But after much uproar from customers, Kraft Heinz announced on Monday it will reintroduce Kraft singles over the next few days and restock grocery shelves with Kraft peanut butter by early next year.
Kraft Heinz announced on Monday it will reintroduce Kraft singles over the next few days and restock grocery shelves with Kraft peanut butter by early next year
‘We are thrilled to be bringing back Kraft to Australian supermarket shelves. Kraft is not just a brand, it is a way of life in Australia and we have an unwavering commitment to strengthening it even further’ said Bruno Lino, CEO of Kraft Heinz Australia.
‘Kraft has been the top of mind brand in Peanut Butter for Australians for the last eight decades and when we surveyed consumers, Kraft Peanut Butter commanded a mammoth 65% market share.’
The survey also showed that two out of three homes have a Kraft product in their pantry at any point in time, he said.
‘We are listening to our consumers and we know that Kraft Peanut Butter is the one Australians love.’
Stripping products of the Kraft name earlier this year led branding experts to raise concerns that the change will confuse customers and sales will suffer, news.com.au reported.
The Kraft logo was removed from Vegemite jars and other products followed suit
Bruno Lino, CEO of Kraft Heinz Australia, said a survey of Australians showed two of every three homes have a Kraft product in their pantry
Dr Dean Wilkie, a University of Adelaide marketing expert, said the removal of the familiar Kraft logo could mean customers think they’re buying Aldi-style copycat products.
‘The Kraft name symbolises familiarity. When shoppers go to the chiller it has that recognition,’ Dr Wilkie told news.com.au.
‘Removing the Kraft name runs the risk that many people will not hear about the change. In a perfect world you’d keep it.’
But the decision to remove the brand name came after a series of takeovers that mean, in Australia, the products aren’t even owned by US-based Kraft.
Just two years after the company controversially bought UK chocolate company Cadbury in 2010, Kraft decided it would focus on North America.
Meanwhile, the new Mondelez company would concentrate on its sweet products elsewhere in the world – but had to continue to pay Kraft royalties.
But in January, Mondelez has also sold Vegemite and other Kraft products to Bega Cheese in a deal worth about $460 million.
Some jars of peanut butter featured The Good Nut name but also feature the Kraft logo