While fast-food chains and Starbucks made the practice of limited-time-offers (LTO) popular, grocery chains and product manufacturers have gotten into the same game. Sometimes a manufacturer will offer an LTO across all its partners.
That’s something you see with seasonal Oreo and M&M flavors, as well as various drinks from both Coca-Cola and PepsiCo.
In other cases, the company making the product will partner exclusively with one retailer in order to make the release even more exclusive.
Walmart, for example, recently had an exclusive LTO on Sprite Chill Mango Citrus in partnership with Coca-Cola.
Also Read: Coca-Cola brings exclusive new soda to Walmart
“Consumers want products that are more exciting or that put a new spin on a traditional product,” Stephanie Carlson, global marketing manager for Corbion told Supermarket Perimeter.
It’s about creating excitement and driving people to stores. That’s something Walmart’s latest partnership with General Mills should do. The two companies have gotten together to deliver an exclusive flavor of Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
Cereal has grown in popularity
In challenging economic times, sugary cereals remain an affordable indulgence for many Americans. Pouring a bowl of Lucky Charms, Frosted Flakes, or Cocoa Pebbles takes people back to their youth and, while it’s not good for you, it’s a cheat many people are willing to make on their diets to make themselves feel better.
Still, cereal sales have been falling.
“According to Circana, a Chicago-based market research firm, unit sales in the RTE cereal category fell to 2.28 billion in the 52 weeks ended Nov. 5, down 4.7% from the same period a year ago. By comparison, the year-over-year unit sales decrease was 5% between 2022 and 2021 and 7% between 2021 and 2020, according to Circana. Unit sales have fallen 9% since 2021,” Baking Business reported.
Even as unit sales decline, cereal remains a high-frequency, value-driven staple.
Many Americans see cereal as more than breakfast.
“While it has long maintained a seat at the kitchen table, it seems cereal may be moving beyond breakfast and even beyond the bowl. New research from Mintel reveals that more than two in five (43%) of US cereal consumers eat cereal as a snack at home, ranking as the second most common reason to consume cereal, aside from breakfast (89%),” according to a Mintel survey.
Cereal is also popular away from the kitchen.
“What’s more, almost one in five (17%) say they have cereal as a snack away from home and 10% enjoy cereal on the go,” the data showed.
Walmart adding new Cinnamon Toast Crunch
Walmart has decided to lean into the cereal as comfort food trend by partnering with General Mills to bring two popular flavors together, a root beer float, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal.
“Set to release this summer, Cinnamon Toast Crunch Root Beer Float is one of four new cereal options to hit store shelves this upcoming season. General Mills describes the cereal as combining the classic flavor of ‘Cinnadust’ (which also happens to taste fantastic on toast) with the creamy, distinct taste of a root beer float to produce a unique breakfast cereal for all to enjoy,” The Takeout reported.
The unique combination of flavors will hit Walmart stores exclusively in June.
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Amber Winston received a package of Cinnamon Toast Crunch Root Beer Float to taste test for The Takeout. She was not impressed.
“Cinnamon Toast Crunch Root Beer Float cereal tastes like I thought it would — downright weird. Though I hold both the original cereal and store-bought root beer near and dear to my heart, I had a gut feeling this matchup wouldn’t work well. As soon as I opened the package, my nostrils were hit with the odd scent of cinnamon sugar and artificial root beer, and, unfortunately, things only got worse from there,” she wrote.
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Past Cinnamon Toast Crunch spinoff flavors
General Mills has released a number of LTO Cinnamon Toast Crunch flavors, including a spicy version, CinnaFuego Toast Crunch.
“CTC is always looking to give our fans the most absurd and exciting experiences,” said Mindy Murray, senior marketing communications manager at General Mills. “So when we were thinking about what to do next, we realized snack time was a moment that could be spiced up. We can’t wait for CTC lovers to try CinnaFuego, and if they dare, eat it with some milk for breakfast.”
Other CTC limited-time-offerings included:
- French Toast Crunch (discontinued, later revived due to demand)
- Peanut Butter Toast Crunch (spin on the original flavor profile)
- Apple Pie Toast Crunch (dessert-style limited release)
- Cinnamon Toast Crunch Waffle (format and flavor mashup)
- Strawberry Cinnamon Toast Crunch (fruit-forward variation)
- CinnaGraham Toast Crunch (graham-flavored twist hinted in LTO cycles)
- Bacon-flavored Cinnamon Toast Crunch (limited-edition savory collab)
- Pizza-flavored Cinnamon Toast Crunch (Totino’s collab) (experimental LTO)
Sources: General Mills, AllRecipes
When the company, in partnership with Hormel, release the bacon-flavored version, General Mills’ Senior Marketing Manager Brandon Tyrrell told Parade that it was “rewriting the rules of breakfast.”
“Bringing these two iconic breakfast staples and irresistible flavors together gives our fans even more reasons why they Must Cinnadust,” Tyrell shared in a statement.
General Mills sales have slowed
General Mills has been working to fix its business, but the turnaround has not taken hold yet. The company reported its third-quarter earnings on March 18 and highlights include:
- Net sales of $4.4 billion were down 8%, including a 6-point headwind from the net impact of divestitures and acquisitions.
- Organic net sales were down 3%.
- Operating profit of $525 million was down 41%;
- Adjusted operating profit of $547 million was down 32% in constant currency.
- Diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.56 were down 50%.
“We started the year expecting that our investments, divestitures, and unfavorable timing comparisons would drive declines in our sales and earnings results through our first three quarters, even as we improved our volume and market share. And that’s what we’ve seen play out,” CEO Jeff Harmening said in the earnings release.
He’s optimist that things are moving in the right direction.
“As we move to the fourth quarter, we expect to deliver a step up in organic sales trends and return to earnings growth, driven by favorable timing comparisons, the 53rd week, and our continued market share momentum. And as we look ahead to fiscal 2027, with our price investment work behind us, we are confident in our ability to deliver improved organic sales results,” he added.
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