Lunchables Shortage: Here's Why You Can't Find the Popular Product Right Now
Whether you're out of time, patience, or sandwich bread, there's nothing like prepackaged foods that make it easy to supply your kid with a yummy lunch. Of course, one of the most popular options is Kraft Heinz' Lunchables, which have been a family staple for more than 30 years. The little grab-and-go kits can be easily stuffed in a backpack for a fast meal, and they contain cheese, meats, crackers, mini versions of pizza, desserts, and other kid-friendly items. Recently, however, parents have had a tough time tracking the product down.
TODAY Food reports that social media has been flooded with comments by people wondering what's up with an apparent Lunchables shortage. And one month ago, a Reddit thread was exploding with commentary on the matter.
"Every where u go no lunchables," one commenter wrote back on a Lunchables Instagram post in August.
"Please restock all stores that sell your product because nobody can find lunchables any more across the US!!" another person stated on a post shared this week.
Getty Images.
So what's the real reason Lunchables are ghosting their fans? Supply chain issues appear to be at the root of the problem.
Business Insider and the Wall Street Journal both reported in late August that grocery stores have faced supply shortages in recent weeks, in part because of the labor shortage and high shipping costs. Reports also noted that a Southern supermarket chain has gone so far as to make their own version of Lunchables for their customers.
In an emailed statement to TODAY Food, Kraft Heinz explained that they're working to keep up with skyrocketing demand. "Compared to 2019, nearly 2 million more households bought Kraft Heinz brands in the second quarter of 2021," the company noted. "We are also seeing all-time high demand for many of our brands, including Lunchables, which in that case has been driven by proactive steps and investments in marketing and brand renovation that deliver on expectations of modern parents and kids. As such, Lunchables is seeing double-digit growth for the first time in 5 years."
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They added that they're "actively investing" in their supply chains and "have teams working fast and furiously" so that their retailers and consumers can "get more of the Kraft Heinz products they love, wherever they like to shop."
Here's hoping they'll rectify the issue ASAP for the sake of stressed parents everywhere.
