Missing treats stir unexpected curiosity among shoppers

When eagle-eyed Coles shoppers noticed something amiss with their iced donuts, it sparked an investigation worthy of Miss Marple herself. What started as a simple question on social media soon uncovered a supply chain puzzle that revealed much more about how our supermarkets really work.

It began innocently enough. A regular Coles shopper, scanning the bakery section for their usual pack of iced donuts, noticed something wasn't quite right.

The familiar six-pack typically contained 'two chocolate, two pink and two yellow' donuts, but lately, the chocolate ones had mysteriously disappeared.

'A couple weeks ago, one of the Coles in my area stopped supplying chocolate donuts in the iced donut section,' the concerned shopper posted on social media.

'All their iced donut packages only include strawberry and yellow.'

What followed was a perfect example of community sleuthing at its finest, as fellow shoppers across Australia began checking their local stores and reporting back with their findings.

The case of the vanishing chocolate

The mystery deepened as reports flooded in from across the country. Some stores had completely run out of chocolate donuts, while others still had limited stock.

The pattern was inconsistent, but the trend was clear—chocolate donuts were becoming increasingly rare.

Current and former Coles employees began sharing insider knowledge on the social media post, revealing that the shortage wasn't due to low customer demand or a deliberate product change, but rather a supply chain hiccup involving the chocolate coating known as fondant.

A nation divided by donuts

As news of the chocolate shortage spread, something unexpected happened—the great donut divide was revealed. Far from universally mourning the loss of chocolate, many shoppers were secretly delighted.

'Yellow and pink donuts, that's heaven for me as I usually throw out the chocolate ones,' confessed one relieved customer. Another chimed in with enthusiasm: 'Ooooh this is a dream come true in our house. No one likes the chocolate.'

Meanwhile, chocolate lovers found themselves facing empty shelves and disappointment. The shortage wasn't limited to the mixed packs either—even the chocolate-only six-packs had vanished from bakery sections across the country.

The supply chain culprit revealed

The mystery deepened when current and former Coles employees began sharing insider knowledge. The answer, it turned out, lay in something called 'chocolate fondant' - the glossy coating that gives the donuts their distinctive appearance.

Australia's bakery sector has been grappling with sourcing challenges for 'staples like butter, chocolate, sugar, and eggs' with 'rising ingredient costs, labour shortages, and weather-related chaos' putting supply chains 'under more pressure than ever'.

The chocolate fondant shortage at Coles reflects a much broader issue. Global cocoa supply shortages are 'forcing up cocoa powder prices and leading to supply shortages in stores' as '70 per cent of global cocoa comes from West Africa' where 'extreme weather patterns (heavy rains, droughts, heatwaves) have slashed crop yields'.

Not just a Coles problem

This doughnut dilemma isn't happening in isolation. Similar shortages hit American doughnut chains in early 2025, with Dunkin' stores 'across Nebraska, New Mexico and Arizona' having 'no doughnuts in their cases' due to 'production challenges and logistical delays' affecting 'about 380 of its more than 9,500 stores nationwide' [5][6].

The timing coincides with broader scrutiny of Australia's supermarket sector. The recent ACCC inquiry revealed that the local supermarket industry is 'highly concentrated' with 'Woolworths market share at 38 per cent of supermarket grocery sales and Coles at 29 per cent' creating 'an oligopolistic market structure in which Coles and Woolworths have limited incentive to compete vigorously with each other'.

What this means for regular shoppers

For those of us who've grown accustomed to finding our favourite products exactly where and how we expect them, these supply hiccups can be frustrating.

But they're becoming increasingly common as supply chains face 'an ever-growing list of threats—from extreme weather and geopolitical tensions to pandemics, cybersecurity risks, labour shortages, raw material scarcity, transportation bottlenecks, and shifting consumer demand'.

The good news? Coles was quick to address customer concerns once the shortage gained attention.

A company spokesperson confirmed the chocolate fondant shortage was temporary, attributing it to unexpectedly high demand that caught suppliers off-guard.

'We've seen a surge in demand for our bakery chocolate-iced donuts in recent weeks and while we're thrilled they're such a hit, this has meant some of our stores experienced stock challenges,' the spokesperson explained.

The sweet resolution

By the time the Reddit detective work had run its course, Coles had already begun working with suppliers to boost chocolate fondant production.

The company promised customers would see their beloved chocolate donuts return to shelves within the week.

This small drama illustrates something larger about modern retail—how quickly supply chain disruptions can ripple through to affect everyday purchases, and how social media has created a new form of consumer advocacy where shoppers can band together to solve mysteries and push for answers.

For chocolate donut lovers, the wait is nearly over. For those who discovered they prefer life without chocolate in their doughnut mix, well, you know where to find the bakery counter for those custom orders.

Have you noticed any mysterious disappearances from your regular shopping routine? Whether it's missing chocolate donuts or other favourite products that seem to vanish without explanation, we'd love to hear about your own supermarket detective stories in the comments below.