Orange Yakult is Off the Shelves: Why People Were “Emotional” and My Thoughts about it
“WHYYYY!!!!!!”
“Give me back my orange!”
These are the woes found on Reddit after Yakult announced that they will pull off the orange flavor from the line-up and replace it with peach flavor. While some other users on the platform felt indifferent, because “Meh, the orange flavor was never my favorite”, some other people who were fans of it felt strong emotional reaction towards the decision.
I don’t really drink Yakult myself. Don’t get me wrong. I did when I was young. But this article got me thinking. This wasn’t the only case. Think KFC’s Fish Ole Burger, or 7-Eleven’s Mr Softee and mashed potatoes also evoked a similar reaction. There was even a post thread on Reddit asking Singaporeans which fast food changes that they miss. A lot of comments poured in. KFC Vegetable Salad, McDonald’s Curry Sauce with Peanut ingredient, and even McFlurry’s iconic spoon. Small things? Yes. Maybe not.
So why do these changes hit the way they do?
Professor Sharon Ng, Deputy Dean of NTU Singapore’s Nanyang Business School and a specialist in consumer behavior, suggested that Yakult is tied to childhood in Singapore, and taking it away can feel like losing a piece of that memory. Associate Professor Chan Kai Qin from James Cook University added that most people simply don’t like change or disruptions to routine.
That being said, I understand that production cannot last forever without any trouble. Sometimes force majeure (factors outside control) such as conflicts and disasters might affect supply chain, affecting ingredients, and ultimately the production. That got me thinking of several things (not rules, take note) that felt worth writing down.
What is your Product to your Customers?
Yakult is not just any other probiotic drink. Remember Yakult Lady, opening the foil cover and chugging the drink, it all is tied to almost everyone’s childhood in Singapore. Perhaps sharing the drink with your brother or your sister. But regardless, it might be time to ask yourself, what is your product to your customers? Is it just another item on the supermarket shelf? Is it strongly associated with childhood? What turns a bad day into a good day? I believe there is no right or wrong answer. But that answer will affect how you will treat your products.
Of course, what Yakult did might become inevitable to your company. There has been a lot of cases where FnB brands had to retract or discontinue their products. But when you know what your products are to your consumers, you might understand the impact when you remove these products from the supermarket shelves.
How do you communicate any changes when it’s inevitable?
We all know that there are some unforeseen circumstances that might result in production disruption and eventually discontinuing products. When that day comes, I believe how you communicate the changes and disruptions will determine how the customers will react. Maybe some companies think making an April fool like post regarding removal of a certain product might gain traction like never before. It’s not right or wrong, but this might pose a risk to your brand because some consumers will not take this kind of news lightly.
Nice to have: Plan B
Perhaps you want loyalty from customers and do not want to compromise on your production. This is when it might be useful to have a plan B. That being said, of course I don’t have the ability to peek into operational side of every company. Therefore, please take this part with a grain of salt.
When Typhoon Ragasa ravaged Hong Kong, shipments got delayed (and even my Taobao shipment). This might not become a very high risk for companies that do not ship regularly, but this might become a different case especially for companies that ship supplies daily, and this might affect production.
To prepare for this kind of scenario, it might be wise to source for alternative suppliers. You may think about what needs to be done and what the reactions will be if your product is gone from the supermarket shelves. This might help you navigate inevitable disruptions.
Wrapping Up
The 5-piece Yakult Orange packaging is disappearing soon. It might not be significant to some people, but to others, it seems as a nostalgia being taken away.
There are no clean templates for business leaders to follow, but paying attention to how your products interact with the consumers might make you navigate your production better.
If this resonates with you, or you are a company looking to expand your business to a new market, we’d love to talk to you.
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References
Channel NewsAsia. (2026). Yakult orange to discontinue and be replaced with peach flavour — why are fans mourning? Retrieved from https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/yakult-orange-discontinue-replace-peach-flavour-why-fans-mourn-6179116
Photo by Joshua Fernandez on Unsplash
