Popping into APAC: Australia first in region to launch white chocolate version of Coco Pops
The new white chocolate version will taste distinctly different from traditional Coco Pops’ chocolate milkshake flavour, instead using caramel and marshmallow milk to create a ‘crème brulee and panna cotta’ taste.
“We have had Coco Pop fans request new flavours throughout the years, [and] white chocolate has been one of the more popular requests,” Coco Pops Brand Manager at Kellogg’s ANZ Derek Lau told FoodNavigator-Asia.
“Australia is the first market within the Asia Pacific region to launch this Coco Pops White Choc flavour, [and the second worldwide]. Outside the APAC region, the United Kingdom also launched a white chocolate variety of Coco Pops last year.”
Prices for the new product will vary based on the retail size but the retail price for a 350g pack will come it at A$5.40 (US$3.32). The price is the same for a 375g pack of traditional chocolate Coco Pops.
“Comparing a similar sized pack of Coco Pops Original and White Choc, prices are very similar,” Lau said.
“The new Coco Pops White Choc Flavour is or will be available in retailers such as Woolworths, Coles, IGA, Costco and independent supermarkets.”
Whether or not this new Coco Pops product will remain on-shelf permanently will very much depend on consumer response, but for not the expectation is that it will continue to be made available.
“For now, our plans are to keep Coco Pops White Chocolate Flavour as a permanent item,” Lau added.
With regard to major Australian retail stores, as of March 2020, this is already available in all Woolworths stores and distribution will expand to Metcash IGA stores in April 2020 as well as Coles stores in May 2020.
Going beyond Australia
No plans have been made as of yet to bring the white chocolate flavour beyond Australia to other parts of APAC, but Lau has not discounted the possibility of doing so.
“We’re fortunate to have a place on the shelf in many supermarkets across APAC, many with their own food and flavours that are unique to the local market,” he said.
“Coco Pops White Choc could be something we work on with the APAC team. Never say never!”
Very popular Coco Pops
If consumer reception for White Choc Coco Pops is in any way similar to what it was in the United Kingdom, Kellogg’s Australia will need to take a lesson from history and be very vigilant in terms of keeping store shelves stocked with this product to avoid consumer dissatisfaction.
When first launched in the UK last year, White Choc Coco Pops sold out at many stores within several days, and soon irate consumers were fuming that could not find any stock anywhere, with some saying on social media that no store within 10 miles of their home had any left.
Others posted pictures of empty shelves where the product was supposed to be stocked.
Worse yet, the product also fell victim to a good deal of profiteering, with boxes being sold on eBay for some GBP8.00 (US$9.90), almost three times its prices in Tesco UK (GBP2.99 / US$3.70) and ASDA (GBP2.00 / US$2.48).
Kellogg’s UK had to do some quick damage control, issuing a statement saying that it ‘didn’t expect’ a sell out in just a few days.
“We apologise to anyone unable to get a box of our tasty new cereal,” it told The Sun.
"The Kellogg’s factory in Manchester is working hard to get more boxes out to the supermarkets soon.”
