Sweet $7 snack becomes hardest item to find: 'You never know which colour candy you'll get!'

It started with a simple bite and a guess. Now, a confection that's been quietly sitting in Australian lolly aisles for decades has become the centre of a social media trend that's leaving supermarket shelves bare and shoppers scratching their heads.

Welcome to the peculiar world of viral trends, where a hashtag with over 2,700 posts and 11 million views can transform an everyday chocolate into the must-have item of the moment.

What on earth are Clinkers?

For those wondering what all the fuss is about, Clinkers are colourful candy centres dipped in smooth and delicious Cadbury Milk chocolate.

Think of them as chocolate-covered surprises—each one looks identical from the outside, but bite in and you'll discover a vibrant pink, yellow, or green centre.

Made in Australia from imported and local ingredients, these humble lollies have been a staple of Australian confectionery for years, typically found in the impulse-buy section near supermarket checkouts. The name comes from the distinctive 'clink' sound they make when shaken in their bag.

What makes them perfect for social media? It's all about the element of surprise. You never know which colour candy you'll get, and you take a bite of the delicious treats and all will be revealed.

The challenge that captivated Australia

The concept couldn't be simpler, yet it's proving strangely addictive. Participants bite into a Clinker without looking, then let the colour inside determine their 'fate' for various challenges or decisions.

The trend has even landed in the USA, with venues like Miss Melbourne Coffee in West Hollywood stocking them specifically for the challenge, noting they 'sell out fast'.

From playful stakes like 'If it's pink, I'll take you on a shopping spree' to practical decisions such as 'If it's green, you're cooking dinner tonight,' people are turning these chocolates into social deciders that settle everything from arguments to evening plans.

When viral trends meet retail reality

The rush to supermarkets has been swift and decisive. Woolworths employee Emily discovered this firsthand when she tried to film her own version of the trend, only to find her store completely sold out.

Her attempted workaround—using M&Ms instead—highlighted the fundamental appeal of Clinkers: the genuine surprise element that pre-visible colours simply can't provide.

While the original article suggested nationwide shortages, both Woolworths and Coles still list Clinkers as available for online ordering, indicating the shortages may be more localised or intermittent rather than universal.

This phenomenon isn't unique to Clinkers. Shopping through social media is becoming more popular among Australians, creating a direct pipeline from viral content to consumer behaviour.

The pattern of viral product hysteria

This isn't the first time social media has turned supermarket shopping into a treasure hunt. Earlier this year, a viral hot honey sweet potato beef bowl recipe caused cottage cheese to disappear from fridges nationwide. Before that, it was the feta pasta craze that left pasta aisles looking remarkably sparse.

The pattern is becoming predictable: a creative use of an everyday product goes viral, millions view the content, and suddenly that product becomes impossible to find. What's interesting is how these trends often focus on affordable, accessible items that anyone can try.

The psychology behind the craze

What makes the Clinkers challenge so appealing? Food psychologists suggest it taps into our love of games, surprises, and social connection. The randomness creates genuine suspense—something increasingly rare in our predictable digital world.

For participants, there's also the appeal of shared experience. Australians love joining in on both local and worldwide social media trends, with many Australian creators achieving viral fame through social media.

The trend has spawned countless variations, with some people attempting to recreate the guessing game using other coloured sweets, though as Emily's M&M experiment showed, it's just not the same when the colours are visible from the start.

Smart shopping in the age of viral trends

For those hoping to track down some Clinkers—or avoid getting caught in the next viral product rush—here are some practical strategies:

Think beyond the big supermarkets: Convenience stores, petrol stations, and smaller independent retailers often maintain stock longer than major chains. Even retailers like Big W stock Clinkers, expanding your search options.

Use online ordering strategically: While physical shelves might be bare, online shopping platforms often have different stock allocation systems that might still show availability.

Time your shopping wisely: Most viral food trends peak within 2-3 weeks before interest begins to wane. If you're not desperate to participate immediately, waiting a month usually means normal stock levels return.

What this means for Australian retail

The Clinkers phenomenon reflects a broader shift in how products become popular. Traditional marketing campaigns that might take months to build awareness can now be overshadowed by organic social media trends that explode overnight.

'In 2024, we saw brands push creative limits, lean into trends, and connect with their communities in powerful ways, but 2025 is set to take it even further,' with brands and creators coming together to 'shape culture, spark fresh ideas, and accelerate business growth'.

For retailers, this means balancing inventory management with the unpredictable nature of viral trends. Too little stock and you miss sales opportunities; too much and you're left with excess inventory when the trend inevitably fades.

The broader cultural moment

The Clinkers craze says something interesting about our current cultural moment. In an age of increasingly complex global challenges, there's something refreshingly simple about a trend that revolves around biting into a chocolate and seeing what colour appears.

It's also democratically accessible—unlike trends requiring expensive equipment or hard-to-find ingredients, anyone with $7 can participate (assuming they can find the chocolates, of course).

As we've seen with cottage cheese, feta, and now Clinkers, the next viral food trend is always just one creative TikTok away. The question isn't whether it will happen again, but which everyday supermarket staple will be next to capture the internet's fleeting attention.

Whether you're team pink, yellow, or green, the Clinkers phenomenon serves as a colourful reminder of just how quickly our connected world can transform the mundane into the extraordinary—even if it's just for a few weeks until the next trend takes over.

Have you tried the Clinkers challenge, or have you noticed other everyday products suddenly disappearing from your local shops due to social media trends? Share your experiences in the comments below.