Collecting Star Wars Fruit Snacks

[darthskellington]

I think it's time we took a closer look at Star Wars Fruit Snacks. A fellow Spy and I have been obsessing over these for the past year, and I think it's time I shared the fruits of our labor (no pun intended).

So what makes fruit snacks so special? Well...they are delicious and loaded with Vitamin C....but that's not what we're after. What makes these cool is that they are regionally branded. Unlike, say Fruit Roll Ups, that you could walk into any Walmart or other grocery store this past year and find the exact same box anywhere in the country....the fruit snacks have different logos on them depending on where you buy them. They might have your local grocery store's name on the box, and that box can only be found in your area of the country. No less than 66 different boxes have been documented.​

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[darthskellington]

These snacks first appeared in 2010, and many of them are still available today. However, some companies have changed logos, and as a result some packages are no longer available. I hope to discuss each of these on an individual basis. So far, all the boxes contain the same fruit snack shapes...some of which have been in use since Revenge of the Sith. Also, all the boxes up until now have come with red and white snack pouches, with the exception of the Episode I 3D 24-pack box, which came with blue and white pouches. UPDATE: As of late 2012 early 2013, all boxes appear to be using the blue pouches.

 

[darthskellington]

Here is a list of the known boxes so far. Not all boxes are pictured above in the first post. UPDATED: 10/24/2013



Acme 5.4oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2010
Alberston's 5.4oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2010 (PICTURED)
America's Choice 5.4oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2010 (PICTURED)
Best Choice 5.4oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2010
Best Choice 4.8oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2011
Big Y 5.4oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2011
Clover Valley 4.5oz (5 pouches) Clone Wars no date
Clover Valley 4oz (5 - 0.8 oz pouches) Clone Wars no date
Clover Valley 4oz (5 - 0.8 oz pouches) ANH 2012
Clover Valley 4oz (5 - 0.8 oz pouches) ANH 2011
Essential Everyday 5.4oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2010
Essential Everyday 4.8oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2010
Flavorite 5.4oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2010
Food Club (2010) 5.4oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2010
Food Club (2011) 5.4oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2011
Food Lion 5.4oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2010
Food Lion 4.8 oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2011
Fred Meyer 5.4oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2010
Fred Meyer 4.8 oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2010
Giant (Carlisle) 5.4oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2010
Giant (Landover) (also Stop N Shop) 5.4oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2010
Giant (Landover) (also Stop N Shop) 4.8 oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2011
Giant (Landover) (also Stop N Shop) 16.0oz (20 pouches) Clone Wars 2012
Giant Eagle 5.4oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2010
Harris Teeter 4.8 oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2011
Hill Country Fare 5.4oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2010
Hy-Top 5.4oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2010
Hy-Top 4.8 oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2010
Hy-Vee 4.8oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2011
Hy-Vee 5.4oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2010
Hy-Vee 7.2oz (6 pouches) Star Wars Erupters
IGA 4.8 oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2011
Jewel 5.4oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2010
Kids Classics (5 pack) 4.0oz Clone Wars 2011
Kids Classics (5 pack) 4.5oz Clone Wars 2010
Kids Classics (6 pack) 5.0oz Clone Wars 2010
Kroger 5.4oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2010
Kroger 4.8oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2010
Kroger 4.8oz (6 pouches) ANH/TPM 2012
Laura Lynn 4.8oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2010
Lunch Buddies 5.4oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2010
Market Selections 7.2oz (6 pouches) Star Wars Erupters 2012
Meijer 5.4oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2010
Our Family 5.4oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2010
Price Chopper 5.4oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2010
Publix 5.4oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2010
Ralph's 5.4oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2010
Richfood 5.4oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2010
Roundy's 5.4oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2010
Safeway Kitchens 10-pack 8oz (10 pouches) A New Hope ANH 2012
Safeway Kitchens 20-pack 16oz (20 pouches) A New Hope ANH 2012
Schnucks 5.4oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2010
Shaw's 5.4oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2010
Shop N Save 5.4oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2010
Shur-Fine (Western Fam.) 5.4oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2010
Shur-Fine (Western Fam.) 4.8oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2011
Shur-Fine 5.4oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2011
Southern Home 5.4oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2010
Spartan 5.4oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2010
Spartan 4.8oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2011
Spartan 7.2oz (6 pouches) Star Wars (Erupters) 2012
Stater Bros. 5.4oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2010
Stater Bros. 4.8oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2011
Winn Dixie 5.4oz (6 pouches) Clone Wars 2010
unbranded Clone Wars 24-pack Box Clone Wars 2010
unbranded Phantom Menace 24-pack box TPM 2012
unbranded Phantom Menace single pouch 4.5oz TPM 2012

 

[darthskellington]

I am currently hunting for:

Flavorite - PENDING
Giant (similar to the Giant Eagle logo, but just says Giant in red letters) - PENDING
Big Y
Giant (Landover) 20-pack box
Richfood
Shaw's

possibly a Sam's Club 50-pack....one is listed on their site but has not been discovered. Could be loose boxes shrink-wrapped together.

also any "undiscovered" brands

I would like two boxes of any of the above on my Need List, or any "undiscovereds", and will compensate anyone for their expenses, shipping, and time.

 

[darthskellington]

Below I will least each box with known information about their sources and availability, along with front and back scans. For larger images (in case you really want to read the fine print), you can find most of these boxes in this folder: http://www.flickr.com/photos/48811827@N00/sets/72157628830550045/

 

[darthskellington]

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ALBERTSONS

Albertsons is a national chain of grocery stores, now owned by the SuperValu group. Albertsons can be found in the following states:

Arkansas
Arizona
California
Colorado
Florida
Idaho
Louisiana
Missouri
Montana
North Dakota
New Mexico
Nevada
Oklahoma
Oregon
Texas
Utah
Washington
Wyoming

The Albertsons box has become difficult to find, as many of the stores are not carrying the Star Wars snacks at this time. Those that are may have switched to the new Essential Everyday logo, which is a brand to be carried by all SupeValu stores. As such, all store branded boxes from this family of stores may be phased out in order to adopt the Essential Everyday brand.

Other stores in the SuperValu group include:

ACME®
Albertsons®
Cub®
Farm Fresh®
Hornbacher's®
Jewel-Osco®
Lucky®
Save-A-Lot®
Shaw's/Star Market®
Shop 'n Save®
Shoppers®

 

[darthskellington]

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AMERICA'S CHOICE​

America's Choice branded products can be found at Pathmark grocery stores. These snacks are distributed by Onpoint, Inc. If it is a generic brand, it is possible it may be found at other chains. Pathmark stores are located primarily in New Jersey and eastern New York, with some locations in Pennsylvania. Pull up the company website for specific store locations. Pathmark's parent company is A&P. It was founded in 1859, and for an interesting read, check out their wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Atlantic_&_Pacific_Tea_Company

This particular box was purchased from an eBay dealer who obtained it at a Pathmark store in Yonkers, NY in January 2012.

 

[darthskellington]

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BEST CHOICE​

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Best Choice is distributed by American Wholesale Grocers, which serves various grocery stores in the following states:​

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Alabama • Arkansas • Florida • Georgia • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Michigan • Mississippi • Missouri • Nebraska • New Mexico • North Carolina • Oklahoma • Ohio • South Carolina • Tennessee • Texas • Virginia • West Virginia • Wisconsin​

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In addition to supplying existing grocery partners, they are also the concept behind their own chains, including: Cash Saver, Apple Markets, Thriftway, Price Chopper, IGA, Price Mart, Sun Fresh, Alps, Country Mart.​

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This box was purchased near Louisville, KY by fellow collector and Bothan Spy, Ila. Thanks Ila!​

 

[darthskellington]

CLOVER VALLEY

Clover Valley is distributed by Dolgencorp for its Dollar General stores. Dollar General is a discount small-box store found in 38 different states. This is perhaps the easiest box to find, and it will only cost you a dollar.

A New Hope box appeared in late 2012.

 

[darthskellington]

ESSENTIAL EVERYDAY

As mentioned in the Albertsons post, Essential Everyday is the new "owned brand" being carried by the SuperValu family of grocery stores. This will likely replace the store brand carried previoiusly in some of these stores, as was the case in Albertsons. When my snack hunter looked at his local Albertsons, he found one "Albertsons" box way in the back, and a fresh selection of "Essential Everyday" filling the rest of the shelf.

You might come across this box at any of the SuperValu stores:

ACME®
Albertsons®
Cub®
Farm Fresh®
Hornbacher's®
Jewel-Osco®
Lucky®
Save-A-Lot®
Shaw's/Star Market®
Shop 'n Save®
Shoppers®

 

[darthskellington]

FLAVORITE

Flavorite is a brand owned by the SuperValu group. As such, it could appear at any of the grocery stores owned by SuperValu, although it is unlikely to appear at stores with their own logo on their generics, such as Albertsons, Shop N Save, or Shaw's. Also, as with Albertsons, this Flavorite brand may be phased out to make way for the Essential Everyday brand logo being used across the company's various chains. For reference, the SuperValu stores include:

ACME®
Albertsons®
Cub®
Farm Fresh®
Hornbacher's®
Jewel-Osco®
Lucky®
Save-A-Lot®
Shaw's/Star Market®
Shop 'n Save®
Shoppers®

 

[darthskellington]

FOOD CLUB

Food Club is a generic brand that caters to various grocers. It is distributed by Topco (the same as ShurFine). While I haven't been able to track down other sources, I suspect this could be found at multiple chains. Locally to me, it is carried by Brookshires and Super 1 Foods, which are sister stores. These stores are found mostly in East Texas and Western Louisiana, and are expanding into surrounding areas. Not every store has them for some reason, but they have been both this year and the previous year.


UPDATE: A new updated box has been found. The obvious difference is that the new box has nutritional info on the front, and is only 4.8oz (still 6 pouches). It is also dated 2011 (instead of 2010) and comes with the blue pouches previously seen in the Phantom Menace jumbo boxes. It seems safe to say that the older Food Club box is now obsolete.

 

[darthskellington]

FRED MEYER

Fred Meyer is a retailer based primarily on the west coast, originating in Oregon. It's merged with Kroger and has become one of the largest grocery retailers in the country. Currently, Kroger, Fred Meyer, and Ralph's all maintain their own logos on their snack boxes. It's possible you might find a Fred Meyer box at one of the smaller Kroger family stores in Fred Meyer's territory.

Stores in the family include:

Baker's · City Market · Dillons · Food 4 Less · Foods Co. · Fred Meyer · Fry's Food and Drug · Gerbes · JayC Food Stores · King Soopers · Kroger Food and Drug · Owen's Market · Pay Less Food Markets · Quality Food Centers · Ralphs · Smith's Food and Drug · Scott's Food & Pharmacy​

 

[SWfan]

Cool collection darthskellington. I think I found an "undiscovered" box. I bought a box of them at Wades and they have a "Hy-Top" logo. Can post a pic if you want.

 

[darthskellington]

Yes, please do! Can I persuade you to snag me a couple boxes?

Thanks!

Warren

 

[darthskellington]

GIANT (Landover) aka STOP N SHOP

This one proved to be a bit of a mystery for a while, as we knew the logo, but not what store it matched up to. Giant and Stop N Shop are both owned by the Royal Ahold company. They are a sister company to Giant (Carlisle). However, they are not related to Giatn Eagle. Frankly it's rather confusing as grocery stores often start as one company, then branch off or sell parts of the company, then later to be repurchased or consolidated back into one. Anyway, the bottom line is that the current company logo that appears on this box, is the new logo being introduced into all of their stores. Whereas you might have previously found a box that said "Giant", you will now likely find this "fruit slices" logo.

Giant stores can be found around Delaware, Maryland, Washington DC, and Virginia. Stop N Shops are located in Rhode Island, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Massachusetts. Both stores have store locators on their website listing exact locations on a helpful drop down menu.

 

[darthskellington]

GIANT (Carlisle)

Giant (Carlisle) is the sister company to Giant (Landover). Giant Food Stores, LLC is an American supermarket chain that currently operates stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia under the names of Giant, FoodSource, and Martin's. It's possible that this box logo has been replaced by the fruit slices logo, and as such may be difficult to come by now.

 

[darthskellington]

GIANT EAGLE

Giant Eagle is a supermarket chain with stores in the U.S. states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, and Maryland. This is much the same territory as the other Giant stores, making it confusing to track down. This box was obtained on eBay.

 

[darthskellington]

HILL COUNTRY FARE

Hill Country Fare is a generic brand carried by H-E-B stores in Texas. This was found in the Houston area in late 2011.

HEB Grocery Company, aka H-E-B, is a privately held San Antonio, Texas-based supermarket chain with more than 315 stores throughout Texas and northern Mexico. The company also operates Central Market, an upscale organic and fine foods retailer.

 

[SWfan]

Here's a pic.

Sure, I'll check tomorrow and see if they have any left. I could probably help you out with the Food Lion box too if you want.