Trader Joe’s is finally confirming the future of the virally popular breakfast item and why it’s hard to find — it’s not a scarcity

TRADER Joe fans were distraught when they thought the popular hash brown patties would be discontinued this year, but luckily the company is still selling the item, Trader Joe confirmed to The US Sun.

Shoppers have complained online about the seemingly missing product, with one shopper saying they’ve been looking for the McDonald’s hashbrown dupe for about a month and couldn’t find it.

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This led many customers to speculate that the item was discontinued, but Trader Joe’s said that was not the case.

“Our Hashbrown patties have not been discontinued,” a spokesman for Trader Joe confirmed to The US Sun.

So what caused the shortage on the shelves?

It’s probably due to increased demand.

The Hashbrown patties have been making waves on TikTok recently, and many shoppers have just discovered the product, which is perfect for toasting and adding avocado and a host of other breakfast items.

Cashiers have reportedly told customers that Hashbrown patties have sold out for two straight days, with some shoppers grabbing 10 packs at a time.

Inflation may also have prompted more shoppers to buy in bulk amid fears of price hikes in the coming weeks.

While the supply chain may not yet be able to keep up with customer demand, don’t panic as the product should be making its way back to a Trader Joe’s near you soon.

WHY ARE PRODUCTS DISCONTINUED

While Trader Joe’s hasn’t discontinued the famous Hashbrown patties, the retailer has removed several other items from its shelves in recent years.

These include fan-favorite desserts: Belgian chocolate pudding, chocolate chip sandwich cookies, salted caramel ice cream and butter cheesecake with speculaas biscuits.

Other popular items, including truffle mac and cheese, eggplant cutlets and arrabiata sauce, were also removed from stores forever, prompting widespread outcry and petitions.

According to Nakia Rohde, a spokeswoman for Trader Joe’s, there are several reasons why a product could end up on this phase-out list.

“Each product has a unique story,” Rohde told The US Sun.

“Our mission is to offer our customers the best quality products at the best prices.”

Since Trader Joe’s has limited storage space, they need to manage it well.

“Each of our products has to ‘stand for itself’, ie go its own way,” said Rohde.

She said every single product available at Trader Joe’s has to meet certain criteria in order to hit the shelves, and that includes an intensive tasting panel.

However, when products, even those loved by many customers, are removed, several factors come into play.

Rohde said the product is seasonal and comes back at a certain time of the year.

Some of these types of products include winter or holiday items. But products such as Brussels sprouts, which are only available at certain times, can also be included.

Often there is also a problem in the supply chain.

“The cost of manufacturing the item may increase (change in raw material prices, new manufacturing requirements, etc.) and with it the price,” said Rohde. “If it no longer makes sense as a value, we can choose to discontinue it.”

And with Trader Joe’s introducing new products every week, some great products that aren’t selling well have to go.

“It’s a question of space,” said Rohde. “And it keeps things interesting.”

TRADER JOE IS IN THE NEWS

While many other grocers have jumped on the self-checkout bandwagon, Trader Joe’s has stood out by vowing never to use kiosks in its stores.

The retailer will continue to hire on-site staff as the company believes its employees are more important than the appeal of the self-checkout.

“The bottom line is that our people remain our most valuable resource,” said Tara Miller, Trader Joe’s vice president of marketing, on the Inside Trader Joe podcast.

“While other retailers are shedding staff and adding things like self-checkout, curbside pickup and outsourced delivery options, we’ve hired more staff and we’re continuing to do so.”

Some stores may also be giving away a free surplus of discontinued snack items to shoppers.

Trader Joe’s has six discontinued desserts that you’ll likely never see again.

Fortunately, however, Trader Joe’s brought back a seasonal item just before spring.