Robin Hood Flour Misses the Target in the States

Robin Hood Flour has always been a favorite in the Brady household. Mom was loyal to it and insisted on it when she was baking. The other leading brands, such as Gold Medal, just wouldn't do. Even in my own house over the years, Robin Hood was the only brand of flour you would find in our cupboard.

Thus I had a pleasant feeling of nostalgia when I saw the above ad with coupon, which ran in the Journal back on November 18, 1964, and just had to post it. I always liked the graphics on the bag and color scheme (although I'm not sure what the connection is between the Sherwood Forest avenger and high quality baking).

But in recent years, Robin Hood Flour disappeared from local grocery store shelves. And a quick look on the internet revealed that Robin Hood Flour is now a Canadian brand only. What happened, eh?

I reached out to the J.M. Smucker Company (owner of the brand) to find out what the story was, and received a reply the same day. "Thank you for contacting The J.M. Smucker Co. Canada to inquire about Robin Hood®. Unfortunately, this product did not receive enough support and was discontinued in the U.S. It currently is only available in Canada. 

"However, your voice of support is very important to us, and we have let the right teams know that you would like to see our Robin Hood® flour back on shelves in the future!"

I was a little surprised that such an iconic brand – one that has been around for well over a hundred years – would have dwindled in popularity so drastically that it no longer made sense to market it in the States. But I guess there isn't as much baking going on as there used to be, especially in this era in which convenience reigns. 

Here is the link to the Robin Hood Canadian website.

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The name 'Robin Hood' has been assigned to a variety of products over the years, including clothing, golf balls and grass seed.

Detail from a Peoples Drug Store ad, Lorain Journal Sept. 2, 1948

Sears Ad, Lorain Journal Oct. 9, 1950

Robin Hood Flour first turned up in Journal grocery store ads in the late 1940s. And its first standalone promotional ad appeared on July 11, 1946. It was a contest that was tied in with its sponsorship of a radio program.

A series of ads promoting the brand continued to appear for many years in the Journal, until the mid-1960s. I wonder if that is how Mom got familiar with the brand, tried it and was pleased with its performance?

Feb. 20, 1947

Nov. 17, 1955

Nov. 19, 1958. Note announcement of new package design.

Oct. 18, 1961

April 11, 1962

Dec. 12, 1962

Dec. 9, 1964

June 2, 1965

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A brand that has been around as long as Robin Hood Flour generates a lot of ads, promotional items and even postcards. Feel free to sift through this gallery, courtesy of eBay.

Grain Elevators at Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada

Greenville International Mill Elevator

Promotional Cookie Cutters from the 1950s

A 1959 Magazine ad