Bounty bars removed from Celebrations tubs in trial

Bounty hunters may have their work cut out this Christmas, after chocolate manufacturer Mars Wrigley said it would be eliminating the sweet from some of its tubs.

The coconut-flavoured treat may be marketed as a slice of paradise, but nearly 40% of us hate them, Mars says.

So a limited run of "No Bounty" tubs will go on sale at 40 Tesco stores in the run-up to Christmas.

It comes after the brand let shoppers return unwanted Bounties last year.

However, the food maker said it was yet to decide whether the treats would be banished for good. Because while a survey for the firm found many people leave the coconut creation languishing at the bottom of the tub, for 18% it is still their choc of choice.

Big tubs of Quality Street, Roses, Celebrations and Heroes start appearing on supermarket shelves in the run-up to Christmas, with sales usually soaring during the festive season.

But cost-of-living concerns could see customers striking some treats off their shopping lists. Stirring the debate around customers' preferences is one way to promote the brand, with one communications company describing lively discussion about the move on social media as a "great PR coup for the Mars team".

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Mars Wrigley said its survey, which consulted 2,000 people aged between 18 and 65, suggested that 18% would feel irritated to find only Bounty bars were left in a tub, while 58% believed it would lead to a family argument.

Its polling also suggests the sweet is popular with older consumers, with 38% of over-55s choosing it as their preferred bar.

Mars Wrigley said the limited edition tubs would include additional Mars, Snickers, Milky Way, Galaxy and Maltesers sweets in place of the missing Bounty. They will be available at "pop ups" within 40 different Tesco stores for six weeks in the run-up to Christmas.

It follows a "Bounty Return Scheme" last year, in which Bounty haters were able to return their unwanted chocolates and swap them for Maltesers after the festive period.

"Last year, we gave customers the opportunity to return their unwanted Bounty chocolates. Now, off the back of public demand, we're trialling taking them out of the tub altogether," said Celebrations senior brand manager Emily Owen.