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Nestlé's Nesquik chocolate drink has been discontinued in South Africa. The Swiss food and beverage manufacturer cited sales decline as the main reason for the decision.
The Citizen reported that Nestlé SA said its popular chocolate powder drink product is no longer selling well in the country. There was a big drop in sales, and with the lower demand, the company had no choice but to remove its Nesquik brand from the market.
Then again, Nestlé assured its South African customers that its other chocolate drink brands are staying. The food and beverage giant will continue the production of its Milo, Hot Chocolate, and Cocoa drinks.
"Nestlé understands that this may disappoint some consumers," the Vevey, Vaud Switzerland-based conglomerate stated. It also assured that the mentioned chocolate drinks are not going anywhere by saying, "These brands have shown remarkable performance and consumer loyalty, making them the focus of Nestlé's efforts to build a healthier and sustainable business for the future."
At any rate, in response to the pull-out of Nesquik from the local market, South Africans expressed their disappointment via social media. Some even associated the discontinuation of Nesquik with doomsday because their favorite childhood will no longer be around. The products to be discontinued are Nestlé's Nesquik chocolate and strawberry in 250 and 500-gram containers.
Meanwhile, in connection with the removal of Nequik from the South African market, News24 also quoted Takudzwa Mupfurutsa, Nestlé East and South Africa's dairy business executive officer, commented, "Delighting consumers is at the core of Nestlé's mission, and we are excited to announce our strategic decision to focus on our key brands. We remain committed to bringing innovation to the Cocoa Malt Beverages category, and we are eager to improve and introduce new products that will be hitting the shelves soon."
Photo by: BrokenSphere/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
