Asda has brought back the Puffin Bar, a chocolate biscuit bar from the 1990s, nearly 30 years after it was first launched. The product is now available in stores for £1 for a pack of eight.
A Return Rooted in Own-Brand Appeal
The supermarket decided to relaunch the bar after research found that more customers are switching to own-brand products. Asda's study revealed that 84% of Brits are more open to trying own-brand versions of their favourite snacks than they were five years ago, while 88% say finding an own-brand equivalent that tastes as good as the branded original feels like a win.
Additionally, 85% of respondents said they enjoy the satisfaction of discovering a great own-brand alternative, with 30% saying the real prize is finding one that tastes better than the branded original.
High Court History
The Puffin Bar previously landed Asda in the High Court in the late 1990s, when a well-known brand argued the product was too similar to its own. The court ruled that Puffin could keep its name, but the packaging had to change. Asda later discontinued the product.
The bars were relaunched on August 17, with Asda joking on social media: "Long before Caterpillar Gate, there was Bird Gate. Either way, Puffins are back, and they are only a quid!"
Shopper Reaction
Customers have shared their excitement online, with one social media user writing: "Nostalgia hit right there – getting classic Puffin bars back on the shelves for just a quid is absolute top-tier news!"
An Asda spokesperson said: "Customers are proud of finding a brilliant own-brand swap, especially when it saves them money and still tastes great. And with biscuits topping the table for the products Brits are permanently swapping, there couldn't be a better time to bring Puffin back, packed with personality and ready to take on the biscuit aisle."
Asda's study also found that almost half of Brits (49%) have permanently switched to own-brand biscuits, more than any other food category.
