Snoop Dogg's Cereal Lawsuit Against Walmart And Post, Explained
Fans of Master P (Percy Miller) and Snoop Dogg's (Calvin Broadus) Broadus Foods were excited when the two took to Instagram on January 30 to announce the good news: Broadus Foods' three Snoop Cereals would be available on Amazon. However, those aware of what's been playing out behind the scenes (and soon in the courtroom) know that the story behind the move from Walmart stores to an online platform has much more to it.
On February 6, Broadus Foods filed a lawsuit against Post Foods and Walmart, accusing the companies of allegedly conspiring to bankrupt Broadus Foods. Master P and Snoop Dogg claim that the cereals were listed as sold out or out of stock in Walmart's systems, but employees found the boxes in stockrooms, with coding indicating that they were not to be put on shelves. According to Broadus Foods, the desired outcome of these actions was the hope that the loss would force Broadus Foods out of business, thereby getting rid of Post's competition.
To back up their claims, Master P and Snoop Dogg have reposted videos of people going to Walmart and trying to find the cereal. In one such Instagram video, a man finds boxes of Snoop Cereal in the stockroom. An employee tells him that the boxes don't have location codes, and without location codes, they can't be put on shelves.
Post claims it was excited about the partnership
After having success with Rap Snacks, Snoop Dogg was excited to give back to the community and collaborate with Master P again for Broadus Foods. Just as Master P's Master Crunch cereal helped inner-city youth by partnering with the Team Hope Foundation, Snoop Cereal would address homelessness by giving a portion of its proceeds to Door of Hope.
While the accusation against Post and Walmart has led to anger and frustration for many who hoped that it would lead to more minority-owned food products, Post claims it was "excited" about working with Broadus Foods. "We were equally disappointed that consumer demand did not meet expectations," Post said in a statement. Walmart also defended itself, stating, "Many factors affect the sales of any given product, including consumer demand, seasonality, and price, to name a few. We will respond as appropriate with the Court once we are served with the complaint" (via CBS News).
The three cereals involved in the lawsuit are Fruity Hoopz with Marshmallows (a Froot Loops-style cereal), Cinnamon Toasteez, and Frosted Drizzlerz. While not everyone is a fan of the cereal's ingredients, judging by Snoop Dogg's Instagram, it has its supporters, and the press seems to be bringing in new potential customers. "I'm buying both cereals very soon! I don't usually even eat cereal, but this looks good and fun!" writes one commenter.