If your world is feeling a little less colorful these days, it might be because the iconic Fruit Stripe gum has been discontinued.
Ferrara Candy Company quietly discontinued the colorful confection, which has been giving fans a burst of fruit flavor since 1969. The gum offered five fruit flavors, which admittedly all tasted the same. It was all about fun over flavor, though, with individual sticks stamped with matching colors and each pack with its own temporary tattoo of mascot Yipes the Zebra.
“We have made the difficult decision to sunset Fruit Stripe Gum, but consumers may still be able to find the product at select retailers nationwide,” a spokesperson said in a statement to news outlets.
It’s been a staple of the checkout aisle for many, from childhood through adulthood, so this loss has left fans feeling understandably morose. As a result, the remaining packs of gum still available at select stores have been flying off the shelves, making the treat difficult and even somewhat impossible to find now that it’s no more.
However, this is the internet, where you can find just about anything as long as you’re willing to pay. So, for the sake of all Fruit Stripe fans out there, we asked the question: where can you still find a pack of Fruit Stripe gum online?
How to find Fruit Stripe gum online
Unfortunately, as of Jan. 11, it looks like there are little to no retailers currently selling what’s left of the Fruit Stripe gum inventory. Ever since the news dropped that the brand would be discontinued, eager fans have been scooping up the remaining packs left and right. That means, right now, it’s unavailable at big box retailers like Amazon and Walmart and even smaller candy stores, as even mom and pop online stores are seemingly completely bereft of the product.
While you can still find the gum available on eBay, the remaining listings at the moment are sparse, and we can’t wholeheartedly recommend you spend over $100 on a pack of discontinued gum. Your best bet right now is to keep an eye out and keep searching some of the smaller retailers to see if the gum comes back in terms of stock that still needs to be sold, or look around stores in your area that you know to have stocked it previously. You may happen upon a few packs that people haven’t yet purchased.
Fruit Stripe gum alternatives
Don’t give up hope just yet. If you’re looking for something to satisfy that Fruit Stripe craving, there are a few options you can buy right now to scratch that itch. While they obviously won’t be the same, these fruity gums and candies still packed with flavor and should at least tide you over until you can find a coveted pack of your favorite gum.
Juicy Fruit gum 10-pack — $18.43 $30.99 (save $12.56)
PUR Jumbo gum — $4.49
Original Chiclets gum (380 pieces) — $9.99
Trident Pineapple Twist (12 packs) — $17.43
Orbit Strawberry (12 packs) — $15.48
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For those mourning the loss of Fruit Stripe gum, here’s where you can still find and order a few packs for nostalgia’s sake online.
