{"id":1269,"date":"2025-04-26T16:24:18","date_gmt":"2025-04-26T16:24:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.merlinscove.com\/?p=1269"},"modified":"2025-04-27T08:03:32","modified_gmt":"2025-04-27T08:03:32","slug":"shoppers-go-wild-as-retro-favourite-sweet-from-80s-returns-to-supermarkets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.merlinscove.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/26\/shoppers-go-wild-as-retro-favourite-sweet-from-80s-returns-to-supermarkets\/","title":{"rendered":"Shoppers go wild as retro favourite sweet from 80s returns to supermarkets"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The OG is back in supermarkets (Picture: Getty; Shutterstock)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A number of retro treats have returned to supermarket<\/a> shelves over the last few months – from the 80s Tunis cake <\/a>to chocolate bars discontinued in the 90s.<\/a><\/p>\n

And now another firm favourite is back and shoppers couldn\u2019t be more excited to nab themselves a pack.<\/p>\n

If you were born before 1998, you might remember sweets called Opal Fruits – which today are better known by a very different name, as they were rebranded as Starburst in the late 90s.<\/a><\/p>\n

Well good news if you miss the OG version, as Mars Wrigley has just brought the original Opal Fruits back and they\u2019ll be available to buy in Sainsbury\u2019s, Tesco<\/a> and Morrisons<\/a> stores.<\/p>\n

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The original product first launched in 1960 (Picture: MARS Wrigley)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

However, there is a catch. Opal Fruits will only be back for a limited time, so you\u2019ll have to be quick if you want to enjoy a hit of fruity nostalgia.<\/p>\n

The sweets, which were incredibly popular in the 70s<\/a> and 80s,<\/a> will be sold in 138g pouches containing strawberry, lemon, orange and lime flavours. <\/p>\n

First launched in 1960, the rebranded treat has made several brief comebacks over the years, being sold in 2021 and 2024. <\/p>\n

Mars Wrigley previously said the last time would be the \u2018final time\u2019 they returned, but clearly they\u2019ve had a change of heart.<\/p>\n

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Opal Fruits were rebranded as Starburst in the 90s (Picture: REX SHUTTERSTOCK)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Florence McGivern, Skittles Senior Brand Manager commented: \u2018Our new limited-edition Opal Fruits will be as iconic as it was in the 90\u2019s, giving fans the chance to revisit the strawberry, lemon, orange and lime flavours from decades ago. <\/p>\n

\u2018The nostalgia trend continues to resonate strongly with consumers, and we are giving them the chance to reconnect with memories from that time.\u2019<\/p>\n

She added: \u2018This limited edition follows successful runs in 2021 and 2024, and we are especially excited about this release as we continue to celebrate the rich heritage of an iconic brand.\u2019<\/p>\n

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Comment now<\/title><span class=\"metro-comment-cta__text\">Are you excited to see Opal Fruits back on supermarket shelves?<\/span><\/span><a class=\"metro-comment-cta__button\" href=\"#metro-comments-container\">Comment Now<\/a><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>Shoppers were thrilled by this, with many saying they ‘needed’ to grab a bag, the sweets ‘made their mouth water’ and that it was a ‘reset’. <\/p>\n<p>For those that don\u2019t manage to get their hands on the sweets, you could always head over to your nearest Iceland, where Opal Fruits ice lollies are being sold.<\/p>\n<p>And if you’re more of a <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/chocolate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">chocolate<\/a> person that a sweet lover, you might prefer to know that a <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/03\/14\/nestles-best-ever-discontinued-chocolate-bar-finally-back-uk-shops-22726998\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">discontinued chocolate bar <\/a>also made a comeback recently.<\/p>\n<p>Caramac, was axed by <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2023\/11\/08\/nestle-discontinues-favourite-chocolate-bar-after-difficult-decision-19792066\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Nestl\u00e9 in 2023<\/a> after being produced for more than 60 years and many were distraught to see it go.<\/p>\n<p>However, it has since been spotted in Heron Foods. The retailer is currently selling the chocolate bar in packs of three for just \u00a31 \u2013 and with more than 340 stores nationwide, you\u2019ll likely be able to nab yourself some.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><strong>Do you have a story to share?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><strong>Get in touch by emailing <a href=\"mailto:MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk\">MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The OG is back in supermarkets (Picture: Getty; Shutterstock) A number of retro treats have returned to supermarket shelves over the last few months – […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1271,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1269","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.merlinscove.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1269","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.merlinscove.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.merlinscove.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.merlinscove.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.merlinscove.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1269"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.merlinscove.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1269\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1275,"href":"http:\/\/www.merlinscove.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1269\/revisions\/1275"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.merlinscove.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1271"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.merlinscove.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1269"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.merlinscove.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1269"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.merlinscove.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1269"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}