Nostalgic Treats Consumers Want Back... "'Poised for a Hit'" on the Newtro Wave

Mini Shell, Captain Q and Stir-Fried Neoguri among the returns
Food companies bring discontinued products back, drawing interest
Consumers on social media grow hopeful for "the taste of nostalgia"
"Bringing discontinued products back isn't easy... Demand and other factors must be considered"

"Mini Shell," "Captain Q" and "Stir-Fried Neoguri"

As food companies have recently brought back products packed with nostalgic flavors one after another amid the "Newtro (New + Retro)" trend, consumers are increasingly hoping that more products will be reintroduced. Posts on social media calling for products to return are drawing attention as those requests grow louder.

"Cocoa prices were a burden, but"... Mini Shell returns

November 9--According to industry sources, Crown Confectionery will resume production and sales this month of two chocolate products, Mini Shell in strawberry and almond flavors. The products are returning two years after being discontinued in 2024. Launched in 1989, Mini Shell is a shell-shaped chocolate with a filling inside and became popular for its convenient stick-shaped packaging. Crown Confectionery said Mini Shell is currently in the production-preparation stage and that it is making a final review of whether to maintain the same ingredient ratios as before it was discontinued.

Crown Confectionery's "Mini Shell." Provided by Crown Confectionery.

A Crown Confectionery official said, "Requests for its return have continued through the company's customer service center and social media," adding, "Taking into account the steady requests from consumers and Mini Shell's brand recognition, we decided to bring it back."

Mini Shell is said to have been discontinued in 2024 amid a sharp rise in cocoa prices. According to Food Information Statistics System (FIS), operated by the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT), cocoa prices averaged around $2,000 per ton through 2022, then rose to $3,309.51 in 2023 and soared to $7,970.44 in 2024. They climbed further to $8,182.60 last year before falling to the $4,000 range on average this year. The product appears to have been discontinued as costs mounted when raw-material prices surged.

News of Mini Shell's return has also raised hopes on social media that its discontinued yogurt and mocha flavors might come back. A Crown Confectionery official said, "We decided to bring back Mini Shell's core flavors first," adding, "We will assess market conditions."

"Captain Q" and "Stir-Fried Neoguri" return to a surge of interest

Lotte Chilsung Beverage's "Captain Q." Photo courtesy of Lotte Chilsung Beverage.

Lotte Chilsung Beverage's Captain Q, a liquor product that marks one month since its return, is another product that has been reintroduced. Lotte Chilsung Beverage brought back the product on October 14, 11 years after it was discontinued in 2015 following its launch in 1980. It is made with traditional Caribbean rum and aged first in bourbon casks, then further in Spanish Pedro Ximenez (PX) casks. It comes in a 360 mL bottle and has an alcohol content of 35%. The bottled product is currently sold year-round through retail channels, including large supermarkets.

Captain Q drew considerable attention immediately after its return. The limited-edition "Captain Q Treasure Chest" package sold out its entire supply of 12,000 sets within a day of leaving the factory. Convenience-store stock also sold out quickly, and the product has remained near the top of convenience-store app search rankings in the month since its launch.

Nongshim's Stir-Fried Neoguri also went back on sale in limited quantities on October 27, in both bag and cup formats. The stir-fried noodles, launched in 2017 and discontinued in 2024, combine Neoguri's signature thick noodles with the savory taste of seafood and a spicy kick. Advance reservations opened on October 14 ahead of the relaunch and closed within two hours. The product continued to sell out soon after sales began.

Consumers' persistent requests prompted Nongshim to bring back the product in limited quantities. Since its discontinuation, it has ranked first among products for which customers have requested a relaunch through the company's customer service center over the past two years, and its online search volume has surged unusually sharply. Consumers also spontaneously formed a group on social media calling for the product's return. The account said it had gathered more than 20,000 signatures and delivered them to Nongshim.

Nongshim's Bokkeum Neoguri. Photo courtesy of Nongshim.

Could these products return, too? Comments keep appearing on social media

As food companies continue to bring back products that evoke Newtro nostalgia, consumers are voicing hopes on social media that other discontinued products may also return. Orion's Sun and Bebe, for example, were reintroduced after being discontinued and continue to be sold today.

Comments calling for product relaunches are also appearing under posts about this month's promotions by GS25 and Lotte Chilsung Beverage, which have been drawing attention on social media. Lotte Chilsung Beverage is selling 10 units of its 2% Is Not Enough and Gatorade products for KRW 5,000. In response to the promotion, consumers are calling for the return of the original flavor of 2% Is Not Enough. Lotte Chilsung Beverage stopped producing the original flavor in the second half of last year and currently sells only the zero-sugar version.

Asked about the possibility of bringing the product back, Lotte Chilsung Beverage said, "Nothing has been decided specifically." An official explained, "2% Is Not Enough was loved by consumers as a health-oriented beverage differentiated from both juice and carbonated drinks. We took a comprehensive look at market changes and consumer preferences, and decided to discontinue the original flavor in response to the trend of growing interest in and preference for zero-sugar beverages."

Other products mentioned on social media as nostalgic snacks consumers hope will return include Nongshim's Byeolttameokja (launched in 2006 and discontinued in 2023), as well as Orion's Mini Pol (launched in 1995 and believed to have been discontinued in the 2010s) and Igu Dongsung (launched in 2006 and discontinued in 2013). The manufacturers said they have "no plans to bring them back."

Although product relaunches have continued recently, industry sources say that food manufacturers generally find it difficult to decide to bring back products they have once discontinued.

An industry official said, "Companies usually make the difficult decision to discontinue a product only after considering various factors, including costs, production processes, consumer demand and the product's medium- to long-term sales prospects. To reverse that decision and relaunch a product for year-round sale, consumer demand and profitability have to be clear." The official added, "For that reason, companies often choose limited-time sales as a way to engage with consumers rather than offering products year-round."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.