Farmers Dairy discontinues Beep for second time
Beep, the sweet summertime drink produced by Farmers Dairy, has been discontinued. Again.
Aaron Crouse is a die-hard fan of the drink. Every year, almost to the day, he contacts Farmers Dairy to ask when he and other fans can expect it to hit the shelves.
He says it's all about the nostalgia.
"From being a small kid and growing up with it in that household ... My dad used to drink it a lot actually, and I would steal it from him," he said. "[Beep is] kind of a family tradition that sort of got passed down."
This year, Crouse took to Facebook. Posting on the Farmers Dairy page, he wrote: "I look almost every single day for the glorious beverage to no avail? Surely the people won't be deprived of our greatest joy this summer?"
A representative from the company replied 30 minutes later. They broke the news to Crouse that Beep would not be returning this summer.
"This cuts me incredibly deep, it truly is a sad day," he wrote in his reply.
Beep is very sweet amalgam of orange, prune, apricot, apple and pineapple juices. Originally created in the 1960s, it was discontinued the first time in 2010.
Following its original termination, Beeple — as Crouse sometimes likes to endear fellow fans — started making noise. Phone calls were made and blogs sprung up online. People started tweeting and signing petitions.
Then in 2012, the Beeple won. Beep was revived as a seasonal drink for the summertime.
"As it got on the shelves again, I just bought litres and litres and litres. It's crazy," said Crouse. "Then, after the stores in the HRM would sell out of it, I have in-laws in the Valley and they would go from store to store and they would buy some."
Tanya Smith also feels nostalgic and passionate about Beep. At the end of the summer, she stocks the freezer with "however many" cartons of Beep will fit. She says the stockpile doesn't last more than three months.
"Ever since they took it off the market and they brought it back, it's something that I think a lot of people look forward to every summer," she says.
Dan Shaw, director of Dalhousie's Corporate Residency MBA Program, remembers Beep from his childhood. He says some companies use demand management to create hype for a product. However, he says the more likely scenario with Farmers Dairy and Beep is a change in consumer buying habits.
"You've got a general focus on healthy lifestyles and health consciousness. Parents who are buying it may feel nostalgic about it. But in the end, it's not a healthy product. There are some fundamental changes that have happened since the 70s."
Since getting the news about Beep's discontinuation, Crouse is making a vocal plea to Farmers Dairy to consider bringing it back. Otherwise, he lightheartedly says he'll suffer "a sugary, sugary depression."
Agropur, the parent company of Farmers Dairy, told the CBC they have no plans to bring Beep back.
