50 Things That Got Discontinued That These Consumers Desperately Want To Buy Again

There’s a paradox at work here. Clearly, many consumers love some products so much that they have a visceral emotional reaction when they get discontinued. And yet, these items obviously don’t sell enough to warrant their continued production. It creates this disconnect between consumers and companies, where the latter don’t seem to take into account what the former want.

Some items, like beauty products, might get discontinued due to the scale of production or because of changes in the legality of manufacturers using certain ingredients.

“They are huge brands, and they can afford to just throw stuff out there. They can’t worry about people wanting a certain shade,” Daniel Adler, president and CEO of BuyMeBeauty explained to HuffPost.

Sometimes, however, there are very clear business strategies behind discontinuations.

In some cases, companies go for what’s known as planned obsolescence, which is bound to anger quite a few consumers. This is especially prevalent in the technology and fashion industries.

Essentially, according to Investopedia, it’s a strategy where a business ensures that a product becomes outdated or useless within a certain time period. In a nutshell, this drives demand because consumers look to replace what no longer works (well).

“While planned obsolescence can help companies control costs and drive demand, it often faces consumer backlash if the new versions offer minimal improvements over previous models,” Investopedia states. It adds that this practice can harm brand reputation and consumer satisfaction.

We were curious about what inspired the author to start the online thread about discontinued items, and u/rjkersten1 was kind enough to share their thoughts with us.

"I think for inspiration, I decided to ask the question because I went to a coffee shop to order a Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew, but they said they were done serving that until next Autumn," they said.

"So, while not permanently discontinued, it got me thinking about discontinued items," u/rjkersten1 told Bored Panda.

Meanwhile, we also wanted to get the redditor's thoughts on what ordinary consumers could potentially do to help bring back discontinued items. From their perspective, it's best to be direct about your wants.

"I think consumers could just ask the business about it. If enough people ask, they might realize how popular demand there is for it," they said.

What are some awesome products that you loved that eventually got discontinued? Do you know why this happened? Realistically speaking, what could you do to convince businesses to bring them back? Do you think any of the things you enjoy right now are at risk of being discontinued in the near future? Let us know!