From the sounds of it they’re not winding the brand down but are shifting their focus to more of the Whole Foods all natural bar crowd and away from sport nutrition products (aka gels, gel blasts and bars that stick to top tubes).
What, so do PowerBar make any general consumer items, or are they just winding the whole brand down? Seems like an odd decision to me…
I like the Ride bars and the gels, but those Energize bars that they have at Ironman events in Europe are just total garbage.
The Powerbar contract with Ironman Europe was last extended from 2015-2017. I heard it was not renewed for 2018 but do not know what company is replacing them.
NIce exit strategy. Just quit? (eye roll) Is there more to the story?
I don’t know the full story, but in talking to my contacts on the brand side there has been a massive shift with the larger brands in the sports nutrition category.
With both PowerBar and CLIF, despite getting their start with endurance sports, and I know for PowerBar, specifically in triathlon many years ago ( a bit of a history for PB that I blogged about back in 2014 - http://stevefleck.blogspot.ca/2014/01/powerbar-early-history.html ) the endurance sports market (runners, cyclists & triathletes) is now a SMALL market for them. I’m told less than 25% for both companies. 75% and growing rapidly for them, is the “healthy snack” category, where their main retail partners are large grocery store chains, and businesses such as WalMart and even Amazon! Small independent running, cycling and triathlon stores are now WAY down on their list of priorities.
To hear about cut-backs in SKU’s is not really that surprising.
The Powerbar contract with Ironman Europe was last extended from 2015-2017. I heard it was not renewed for 2018 but do not know what company is replacing them.
I can’t say I’m disappointed to hear that and perhaps therein lies the problem for PowerBar. It’ll be interesting to see who replaces them.
As to the sports *vs *healthy snack distinction, I wouldn’t be surprised if the latter has effectively *become *the former, in that people partaking in sports are shifting their eating habits away from highly-processed foodstuffs to more natural alternatives.
While understand that independent run/bike shops may be way down their list of priorities, why do they need to phase it out? They don’t need to reinvent their gels at all and I don’t think it’s a market that they need to invest a ton of marketing into, they’re pretty established in the category. All they have to do is keep making the stuff…maybe give the packaging a new look every 5 years.
All they have to do is keep making the stuff.
Easy for us to say (and full disclosure I LOVED the PowerBar gel burst things. I called them the “crack-cocaine of sports nutrition”!!) - but when in a BIG corporation, Accounting is saying we are losing money on a product or service or practice of their business . . . guess what happens?? The bottom line becomes EVERYTHING!
Easy for us to say (and full disclosure I LOVED the PowerBar gel burst things. I called them the “crack-cocaine of sports nutrition”!!) - but when in a BIG corporation, Accounting is saying we are losing money on a product or service or practice of their business . . . guess what happens?? The bottom line becomes EVERYTHING!
Sometimes (often) it’s not even about losing money. It’s about margins. PB could very well be making a “profitable” margin on their endurance products BUT if they can double that margin by moving that money to another area, i.e. healthy snacks, it makes sense to do so from their perspective.
The only PowerBar PE bar remaining on the shelves at my local Kroger grocery store is the peanut butter flavor. I have two for lunch every day at work. I like the PowerBar PE bar because it has less saturated fat than the other similarly-priced energy bars on the shelves. The yellow and red PowerBar sticker will always be a fond reminder of my early multisport glory days.
but when in a BIG corporation, Accounting is saying we are losing money on a product or service or practice of their business . . . guess what happens?? The bottom line becomes EVERYTHING!
Bottom line is always everything. They are running a business not a coop. And they have always been a part of a big business, up until 2016 owned by Nestle, which sold to Post. They are in the midst of a shift in business and perhaps selling branded nutrition items at bike shops no longer makes sense.
Yep, I believe they’re discontinuing all their Gels by the end of 2018!
well that sucks. I preferred their gels over others because of the higher amount of Sodium.
If it is the electrolyte thing go EFS Liquid Shot, not in a convenient small pouch though, comes in flask or bottle.
I like that the PowerBar gels have a thinner consistency than other gels - a lot easier to go down and very easy to mix into flasks. I guess I’ll be stocking up!
I agree on the top tube thing that someone else mentioned. Stick half a bar on there to start the bike in longer races. 
EFS Liquid Shot is thinner than most also, but may be a little pricier, have not looked in awhile. Cannot remember what it was but something in PowerBar Gels did not agree with me, and once I tried EFS I stuck with it.
Well, I asked PB on their website about the gels: “I went to buy some gels and noticed that only four flavors are available. Will the other flavors be available soon?” The response: “At this point these are the only 4 flavors of gels that are currently in production.”
The article from food business news linked above says it all. Lots of competition for a smallish market in foods for endurance sport vs everyday convenience nutrition with a protein/healthy focus.
The only PowerBar PE bar remaining on the shelves at my local Kroger grocery store is the peanut butter flavor. I have two for lunch every day at work. I like the PowerBar PE bar because it has less saturated fat than the other similarly-priced energy bars on the shelves. The yellow and red PowerBar sticker will always be a fond reminder of my early multisport glory days.
Same story at our local Publix grocery store … peanut butter flavor only. I started buying them online through Amazon Prime so I could get chocolate.
I can’t say I’m disappointed to hear that and perhaps therein lies the problem for PowerBar. It’ll be interesting to see who replaces them.
As to the sports *vs *healthy snack distinction, I wouldn’t be surprised if the latter has effectively *become *the former, in that people partaking in sports are shifting their eating habits away from highly-processed foodstuffs to more natural alternatives.
Yep. I haven’t had a gel in years (I’m gonna say since 2011), and I make my own bars now. I do occasionally have bloks during a run.
It is all true… Bye… Now who makes a non-thick gel?
Mark Johnson‎ to PowerBar
February 25 at 5:21pm ·
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Rumor is that you’re discontinuing PowerBar Gels and Blasts and such… I see a vary limited listing of the Gels, what you say PowerBar?
PowerBar Hi Mark, due to declining sales we are unfortunately discontinuing these products. However, they are still available on Amazon.com and our website.
Damn. That’s unfortunate. I absolutely loved their flavors and thin consistency.
Agreed. I just try to stock up and can’t find any. Most gels on the market are too thick. The powergel tangerine had some caffeine and low viscosity which was perfect for racing. I also loved that Powerbar Perform because it was cheap and had a lot of salt in it. Looks like I need to start searching for alternatives.
Just ran out of my last gel.
Had to by Cliff Razz gels. Those are a lot thicker and far less sodium.
If anyone finds a good alternative, let us know.
Also looking for a PowerBar Gel alternative that’s similarly liquidy, with sodium / caffiene / blend of glucose-fructose. Any suggestions? Currently investigating Accel Gels (http://www.pacifichealthlabs.com/Accel-Gel-_p_14.html) and SIS Gels (https://www.scienceinsport.com/us/shop-sis/all-products/gels)
Also looking for a PowerBar Gel alternative that’s similarly liquidy, with sodium / caffiene / blend of glucose-fructose. Any suggestions? Currently investigating Accel Gels and SIS Gels
Accel Gels don’t ship to Canada
SIS Gels cost $45 to ship to Canada
Purchased a box of BOOM as only $15 to ship to Canada…
If you want caffeine in the gel 2nd Surge is decent.
If you do not want caffeine in the gel and you do not mind a flask instead of foil pouches I have found EFS Liquid Shot to be really good stuff.