(NEXSTAR) — Before I dig in, let me say I absolutely love Oreos. I have fond memories of dipping the chocolate and icing treats in a cup of milk for a post-dinner dessert or ordering cookies and cream ice cream on a hot summer day.
And I think it’s fair to say I’m not alone. America loves Oreo cookies. In 2019, The Oreo brand reportedly surpassed $3 billion in net revenue.
Clearly, the folks at Oreo know exactly what they’re doing — and the empty spots on the shelves in the picture below show their strategy is working. But 20 types of Oreos? C’mon man!
I actually stopped to count during a recent trip to the grocery store. After noticing Oreos filled up the aisles, I stopped to see just how many varieties were on shelves. At this particular Kroger location, there were 20. And that doesn’t include the recent announcements that NBA team logos will appear on special-edition snacks and Lady Gaga got her own pink and green-themed treats.
Look, I’m not against a limited-edition cookie or two. In fact, I recently bought their Christmas-themed gingerbread cookies and enjoyed them in front of the fire while listening to the soothing sounds of Nat King Cole. But there are so many varieties to choose from these days that I can’t even tell which ones are the regular Oreos I enjoyed as a kid.
While I’m not alone in this opinion, I appeared to open up a bag of worms when I posted a picture of an Oreo-packed aisle on Facebook.
“As usual, seems they can’t stick to a good thing, have to start spreading onto nasty ones,” wrote one user.
“It does seem like too many choices,” wrote another use.
However, not everyone agreed. In fact, plenty of people think I’m in the wrong for this one.
“I like some. I do try new ones, always go back to originals,” wrote anothe responder.
“Be thankful that you have choices. Variety is the spice of life,” responded another.
A quick poll posted to Twitter showed America is indeed mixed on whether this is Oreo overload or just about perfect.
Most people agreed with my assessment that 20 varieties on store shelves is too many. Perhaps the biggest surprise of all? 6 percent of people said they’ve never had an Oreo!
We all need Oreos. We all love Oreos. Not just 20 types of Oreos.
