📺 Stream EntrepreneurTV for Free 📺

Popular Cereal Brand to Reimburse Customers Who Overpaid During Shortage Amid the shortage, third-party sellers were reportedly selling the cereal for more than $100.

By Justin Chan Edited by Jessica Thomas

entrepreneur daily

Grape-Nuts, a customer favorite from parent company Post Consumer Brands, is finally returning to supermarket shelves, USA Today reports.

Towards the end of last year, the company experienced a shortage as a result of pandemic-related production issues. The scarcity of Grape-Nuts cereal subsequently caused a tremendous hike in its price, according to the publication. In January, for instance, a third-party seller on Walmart reportedly listed a 4-pound box for $110. A 64-ounce box typically retails for $6.49, while a 20.5-ounce box costs $4.29 and a 29-ounce box $4.99.

Related: Breaking Into a Tough Market? Lessons From 'Cereal' Entrepreneurs

In response to the price jump, Post Consumer Brands said that it would reimburse customers who spent $10 or more on for a box of Grape-Nuts Original cereal between Nov. 1, 2020 and March 15. In order to receive a reimbursement, however, customers must send "a valid retailer or e-retailer receipt for a partial refund of up to $115 to help cover the difference between the amount paid and the suggested retail price of the Grape-Nuts Original cereal box purchased."

"It became abundantly clear during the shortage that Grape-Nuts fans are "Nuts for Grape-Nuts,'" Grape-Nuts brand manager Kristin DeRock told USA Today in a statement. "So much so that some of our loyal super fans were willing to pay extreme prices just to ensure they wouldn't be without their favorite crunchy cereal."

Grape-Nuts isn't the only cereal to make headlines recently. On Monday, writer and podcast host Jensen Karp took to Twitter to share a photo of what he believed were shrimp tails in his Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

The tweet immediately went viral, receiving over 14,000 retweets. It also prompted a response from the cereal brand's social media account.

"We're sorry to see what you found!" the brand tweeted back. "We would like to report this to our quality team and replace the box. Can you please send us a DM to collect more details? Thanks!"

Upon "further investigation," Cinnamon Toast Crunch later claimed that the items were, in fact, an "accumulation of the cinnamon sugar that sometimes can occur when ingredients are thoroughly blended" — an assertion that Karp has since disputed.

Justin Chan

Entrepreneur Staff

News Writer

Justin Chan is a news writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, he was a trending news editor at Verizon Media, where he covered entrepreneurship, lifestyle, pop culture, and tech. He was also an assistant web editor at Architectural Record, where he wrote on architecture, travel, and design. Chan has additionally written for Forbes, Reader's Digest, Time Out New YorkHuffPost, Complex, and Mic. He is a 2013 graduate of Columbia Journalism School, where he studied magazine journalism. Follow him on Twitter at @jchan1109.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Buying / Investing in Business

How to Recognize Money-Making Trends in The Market — And Boost Your Profits

These patterns and seasonal changes in the markets, especially over a set number of years, can provide some investors with an interesting map that may help their portfolios perform well all year long or even be a key to long-term riches.

Leadership

5 Ways to Spend Less Time in Meetings Each Week

Want to get more done — and be happier at work? Spend less time in meetings. Here are five ways to do that.

Business News

This Highly-Anticipated Disney World Ride Finally Has a Reopening Date: 'Like the Animation Came to Life'

Tiana's Bayou Adventure is replacing Splash Mountain at Disney World and Disneyland.

Business Solutions

AI Might Know What You Are Feeling Before You Even Do — Here's How AI Can Help Us With Client Feedback

Adopting artificial intelligence tools means we are not just reacting to feedback; we are staying ahead of it. How AI Can Help Us Understand Client Feedback

Social Media

Here's How I Determine If I'm Getting Value Out of X (and How You Can, Too)

Don't let low-value accounts and promotional material bog down your time on X (formerly Twitter). Here are some strategies to curate content, engage with quality people and maximize your time.

Health & Wellness

How This CEO Turned 99 No's Into a $500 Million Sleep Tech Powerhouse

Eight Sleep's Matteo Franceschetti reveals his journey from nightmarish rejection to dream-like motivation.