These Brands We Love Might Be Disappearing
It's never the right time to say goodbye. While we usually say that to someone going through a breakup, nostalgic products also warrant a moment of reflection on the changes that come all too soon. How great does it feel to see your favorite childhood food on the shelf at the store, snickering at the fact your mom actually let you eat that stuff?
In the information age, everything gets challenged, including our most beloved stores and products. Here are some of the most lovable products facing extinction.
Fabric Softeners Are Hard On Our Insides
As cancer continues to be one of the most heartbreaking modern epidemics, it has caused the public to turn a skeptical eye at the products in their homes. Unfortunately for fabric softener brands, they no longer pass the safety test. According to Ackerman Cancer Center, fabric softener coats clothes with many harmful chemicals that have been linked to asthma, pancreatic cancer, and respiratory and nervous system damage.
Sales of fabric softeners have dropped 15% in the past decade, suggesting that buyers would rather not risk the adverse health effects. Instead, consumers are opting for safer and cheaper alternatives, like white distilled vinegar.
The Gluten-Free Craze is Hurting Wheaties Cereal
Few foods have seen more public pushback than wheat. Talk about whiplash! Wheat used to be one of the biggest staples in the American diet, preached as a healthy alternative to most other starches. Then, the gluten-free phenomenon entered.
Forbes reports that 300% more Americans are gluten-free than they were in 2009, three-quarters of which have not been diagnosed with celiac disease. Even so, strong testimonials have convinced the general public to at least give it a try, especially with the low carb diet back in full swing. This is bad news for Wheaties, an iconic cereal we're seeing less and less of on the shelves.
People Aren't Buying The Chevrolet Cruze Anymore
Now that crossover cars are becoming increasingly more popular, sedans are being phased out. More automakers are recognizing that customers find crossover vehicles better suit their needs. And when it's time to get another vehicle, 66.9 percent of U.S. households that currently own a crossover say they plan on buying another, according to CNBC.
One of the sedan models taking the hit is the Chevy Cruze, which is seeing sales down 28 percent. Chevrolet, noting the decline in sales, is making the necessary adjustments, which means that 1,500 workers might be impacted.
It's The End Of The Line For The Volkswagon Beetle
The Volkswagen Beetle was first introduced to the United States in 1949, but it wasn't until the 1960s that it became the hottest car to drive. In 1970, 570,000 Beetles were sold, and sales surpassed the Ford Model T, making the Beetle the world's best-selling car.
Three different models of the Beetle were introduced over the decades, and finally, in 2019, VW announced that the last Type 3 Beetle rolled off the production line, and they would no longer be making the beloved Bug.
Tiffany & Co. Might Be Too Much Of A Strong, Independent Woman
Bet you didn't know that the iconic jewelry brand was named after a man, NOT a woman. Let's go way back in time, to 1837, when Charles Lewis Tiffany started a fancy goods store in New York City. Women flocked to buy then-contemporary pieces of jewelry. Clean rather than gaudy, the jewelry set the standard for pure silver, 92% pure to be exact.
Fast-forward almost 200 years, and the company's stocks have dropped 20%. Millennials just love their cheap jewelry. But with new management to help rebrand, the company hopes shoppers will see the value in their luxury jewelry.
Say Au Revoir To Chef Boyardee
Unless your parents were one of those health gurus, you had Chef Boyardee at some point in your childhood. The famous canned pasta was a parent go-to and child favorite. The downside is that the idea of a meal in a can is no longer a sales pitch.
While Statista shows that the market of ready meals is expected to increase 2% annually in the U.S., meal box subscriptions make it easier than ever to have a ready meal that's also a healthy meal.
Diet Pepsi is Fizzling Out
Soda water companies have managed to soothe the cravings of soda lovers without the cost of fake sugar. Sugar substitutions have faced scrutiny for the past few years with critics going as far as saying they may cause cancer. While more recent studies have shown this correlation to actually be a myth, such suggestions recall the famous phrase "if it's too good to be true, it is."
Mayo Clinic says that while artificial sweeteners are safe to consume, moderation is the key. As such, diet sodas have become the very treat they sought to replace, pushing Diet Pepsi further down the beverage ladder.
Who Needs Costco Wholesale?
The New York Times published an article in 2018 that unmasks a surprising discovery: Americans aren't having as many kids. The fertility rate hit an all-time low for two consecutive years, causing researchers to ask themselves if millennials may be a more unique generation than we initially realized.
As careers, financial security, and personal freedom increase, the need for buy-in-bulk supermarkets is decreasing. This is bad news for Costco. Plus, if young people have more money they'll be less desperate for those famous free samples.
Kenmore Might Have Some Chilling News
What Kenmore is to Sears was like cheese to mac n cheese. It was the ingredient that made the whole thing work. The shock of a huge company like Sears going belly up has left all stores facing technological takeover. But what about the products within the stores?
With access to any number of brands for a given product, conveniently placed alongside all of the specs and pricing information, buyers can now select their appliances based on their specific needs. Kenmore appliances may have appeared in most kitchens long ago, but that was when Sears was the go-to store.
To Eat Old Country Buffet, You're Going To Have To Travel Out To The Old Country
So many buffets, so little time. That's how it was at the turn of the 21st century with restaurants like Sizzler, Souplantation, and Hometown Buffet at every turn. But the buffet craze is fading away. With companies like Door Dash and Uber Eats, the thrill of easy access to varied food choices is becoming blasé.
It's no surprise then that Old Country Buffet closed down several of its locations in the past few years. Only about 20 branches remain open and are often the only location in the entire state.
Kodak Is Struggling To Make A Coin
Kodak, the king of disposable cameras. You can still hear the nostalgic sound of winding the film before your next shot and can still feel the burning curiosity of what photos you would be handed when you picked them up from the store. And let's not forget the old wedding trick of turning every guest into a personal photographer with these bad boys.
But then they sold their patents, the value of which was probably eaten in one bite by cellphones. So, Kodak came up with KodakCoin, a way for photographs to get due currency for their photos. It just hasn't taken off yet.
Harley Davidson Is No Longer The Cool Kid
Motorcycles used to represent ideas of rebellion, freedom, nonconformity, and independence. While this still may be true to an extent, it just doesn't phase younger generations the way it did their parents. Modern "cool" has less to do with loud motors and skull tattoos, and more to do with health and environmental consciousness.
As a result, researchers predict sales will continue to drop while electric scooters and bicycles rise. Plus, Uber and Lyft have made it easier than ever to get around, especially in when drinking is involved.
Trading In Light Yogurt For Greek
Because of trendy foods and the desire to eat as healthy as they can, younger generations have left yogurt, especially light yogurt, in the dust. Instead, they prefer natural and protein-rich yogurts like Greek yogurt, instead of yogurt that offers a lower-calorie option.
In 2016, Yoplait Light yogurt sales fell 8.5%. It's clear that the only people buying it now are older generations or those with kids. Millennial would never dare have a breakfast bowl with anything but Greek yogurt.
Hand Me My Hydro Flask, Please
Traditional plastic water bottles are becoming a thing of the past. When they're not piling up in the back seat of your car, you can find them collecting dust on the shelves at your local grocery store.
Younger people have become more aware of the harm that plastic causes, so making the switch to glass or metal bottles is the way to go. Brands like Hydro Flask have gotten extremely popular over the years due to this.
The iPod Will Never Be The Same
The iPod revolutionized transportable music players. When CD players were replaced by mp3 players, buyers didn't seem to know what direction to go. Apple essentially took them by the hand and led them straight to the iPod.
Every kid on the bus had an iPod to drain out the loud kids with the gentle click of scrolling through their favorite songs. However, the iPod ended up becoming overtaken by its very own iPhone as smartphones started offering a wider range of music. Today, the iPod nano and shuffle are no more.
The Fiat Is Returning To Its Birthplace
The Fiat became a popular car in America thanks to its stylish look and compact composition. Unfortunately, its classy design could only go so far in the states, with Americans having a higher tendency to buy large and practical cars.
The Italian-made car will continue its sales in Europe. However, our "the bigger, the better" attitude made Fiat inclined to remove itself from U.S. markets almost entirely. Although the company did come out with an SUV, theirs struggled to keep up with well-established SUV brands.
Who Still Needs The Gucci Bag?
Not only are designer clothes experiencing a sales drop, but so are their handbag counterparts. Brands like Gucci and Michael Kors have been selling bags at a major discount due to millennials losing interest in their products.
Young people also don't have as money to spend on them. This is the "kiss of death for trendy fashion brands, particularly those positioned in the up-market younger consumer sectors," industry expert Robin Lewis wrote on his blog.
