Cool Ranch Doritos have become increasingly difficult to find on store shelves in recent years, leaving many fans of the flavor wondering what happened. There are a few key reasons behind the shortage of everyone’s favorite blue corn chips.
Decreased Production
One of the main reasons for the lack of Cool Ranch Doritos is that Frito-Lay, the company that makes Doritos, has intentionally decreased production of the Cool Ranch flavor. While it was once one of the most popular flavors, over the years demand has dropped as other bolder and more exotic flavors have been introduced. Given the lower demand, Frito-Lay made the decision to scale back production of Cool Ranch Doritos to focus on more in-demand flavors like Spicy Sweet Chili and Blaze.
This decrease in production started around 2018 and has continued over the past few years. As a result, stores are only receiving limited shipments of Cool Ranch bags. So even if Cool Ranch remains your go-to flavor, you’re more likely to find empty shelves or picked over stock of the blue bags compared to other flavors that are being produced in higher quantities.
Supply Chain Issues
In addition to decreased production, wider supply chain issues in recent years have made it more difficult to keep Cool Ranch Doritos well-stocked. Like many consumer goods companies, Frito-Lay has dealt with challenges including:
- Ingredient shortages
- Transportation and logistics disruptions
- Labor shortages in manufacturing and distribution
- Higher costs for transportation, labor, ingredients
These supply chain struggles make it harder for Frito-Lay to get Cool Ranch Doritos to stores consistently and in sufficient quantities to meet demand. Even when they are producing Cool Ranch bags, problems getting the right ingredients or shipping the finished products to retailers can lead to regional shortages or gaps in restocking store shelves.
How Manufacturing Factors In
To understand why Cool Ranch can be hard to find, it helps to look at how Doritos are manufactured. Each Doritos flavor has its own blend of seasonings that give it a unique taste and color. Cool Ranch features a mix of spices, herbs, garlic, onion, and buttermilk to achieve its signature flavor profile.
Frito-Lay only makes one flavor of Doritos at a time in each manufacturing facility. So when they switch production from, say, Nacho Cheese to Cool Ranch, they have to stop the lines, thoroughly clean out equipment, change over seasoning blends, and recalibrate machines. This process can take up to 12 hours per production line. And since demand for Cool Ranch is lower compared to other flavors, Frito-Lay minimizes changeovers to Cool Ranch to maintain efficiency.
Limited changeovers, plus supply chain issues getting ingredients, means fewer opportunities to make and ship Cool Ranch bags versus other higher volume flavors. So regional inventory and restocking levels tend to be lower for Cool Ranch Doritos across retailers.
How Seasonality Plays a Role
Doritos consumption patterns throughout the year can also exacerbate Cool Ranch shortages. Doritos sales tend to spike around major holidays and events when people consume more chips, dips, and snacks, such as:
- Super Bowl
- Back to school season
- Halloween
- Super Bowl
- College football season
When demand surges during these peak seasons, stores often run out of certain flavors. And since Cool Ranch is already lower production, it’s one of the first flavors to disappear from shelves during high consumption holidays when Doritos sales accelerate. This leaves many shoppers unable to find their favorite blue bags during peak snacking periods.
Regional Flavor Preferences
It’s also important to note regional differences in Doritos preferences across the United States. Some flavors are more popular in certain geographic areas. For example, sales show Nacho Cheese and Spicy Nacho are most popular in the Midwest and West Coast. Meanwhile, Flamin’ Hot and other bolder flavors sell better down South and on the East Coast.
Compared to other regions, Cool Ranch is less popular across big parts of the U.S. This means fewer shipments of Cool Ranch bags go out to stores in markets where demand is lower. So depending on where shoppers live, they are more prone to find Cool Ranch shortages compared to locales where preferences lean toward other flavors.
Grocery Store Inventory Practices
How major grocery store chains manage their inventory can also contribute to inconsistent availability of Cool Ranch Doritos. Big grocers use category management analytics to optimize shelf space and product mix. They allocate more facings and shelf space to faster selling products, while limiting inventory of slower movers like Cool Ranch.
Retailers also rely on auto-replenishment systems to manage in-store inventory. But these systems can miss nuances related to product changeovers and production, causing ordering gaps for Cool Ranch. Additionally, stores typically want to minimize stock-outs on their highest volume products like Nacho Cheese. So when stocking shelves, store workers may leave Cool Ranch empty while making sure the most popular flavors are available.
Hoarding by Loyal Fans
Finally, when Cool Ranch does hit store shelves, super fans have been known to buy up excessive quantities making the flavor disappear faster. Some loyal snackers will purchase whole cases of Cool Ranch bags when they come across them. This hoarding behavior leaves less inventory available for other shoppers just wanting to grab a single bag or two for their next road trip or movie night.
These diehard Cool Ranch lovers have created an underground network to share sightings of their beloved flavor in stores. Facebook groups with thousands of members are dedicated to reporting when and where unobtaniun Cool Ranch bags have been spotted. When a new Cool Ranch shipment arrives at a store, it can be gone within hours thanks to these influential brand devotees.
When Will Cool Ranch Return?
The million dollar question is – when will it be easier to find Cool Ranch Doritos again on store shelves? Unfortunately, Frito-Lay has not provided specifics on if or when they plan to increase production of Cool Ranch. The company announced in early 2023 that it will be reducing production of some lesser demanded products to streamline operations and inventory management. This could mean continued downsizing of Cool Ranch output in the near term.
However, Frito-Lay also indicated its long-term product plan includes more flexibility and frequent changeovers on manufacturing lines across its production facilities. If this enhanced agility comes to fruition over the next 2-3 years, it could provide more openings for Cool Ranch batches. Frito-Lay will also need to resolve supply chain challenges lingering from the pandemic that have inhibited its ability to meet demand across its portfolio.
In the meantime, Cool Ranch die-hards will need to employ savvy shopping strategies to hunt down their beloved Doritos flavor. This could mean checking store shelves early in the morning before the daily rush depletes inventory. Expanding your search radius to stores across a wider geographic area can also increase odds of stumbling upon the elusive Cool Ranch. And joining the local community of snack detectives on social media provides helpful sightings when Cool Ranch bags begin infiltrating store shelves once again.
Conclusion
Frito-Lay’s decreased production of Cool Ranch Doritos coupled with broader supply chain woes have made the flavor hard to keep in stock. Regional flavor preferences, inventory management practices, seasonality spikes, and super fans stockpiling bounties have also contributed to empty shelves where Cool Ranch once proudly resided. Loyal fans will need to harness their resources, network of contacts, and persistence to find their beloved blue bags. But Frito-Lay would be wise to listen to their vocal customer base and find ways to improve availability of this cult classic Doritos flavor.