Halloween Peeps are back – CNN

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Last year, Just Born, the candy company behind the Marshmallow Bunnies and Chicks, halted production of its unrelated Easter Holiday Peeps. This meant that anyone looking for Halloween or Christmas themed Peeps in 2020 was out of luck. Ditto for buyers who wanted Peeps for Valentine’s Day this year.

But now the Peeps ghosts, dark purple cats, orange pumpkins, and Frankenstein-type monsters are back. There’s also a new item on the shelves this year: decorated skulls that appear to have been designed to appeal to those celebrating the Day of the Dead. The treats are presented in new packaging this year, marking the first time Peeps has updated their Halloween packaging since 2014.

The company ditched non-Easter Peeps in 2020 because “the pandemic started midway through when we would produce Halloween and Christmas,” Caitlin Servian, brand manager for Peeps, told CNN Business. “Now that we’re back into full-time production, it’s a very easy decision to bring back Halloween and Christmas Peeps for 2021,” Servian said.

Still, things are different this year than they were in 2019.

Staffing issues and other supply chain disruptions hampered business across all sectors, leading to shortages, delays and price spikes. Just Born is not immune to these problems.

“All the confectionery companies are in the same boat to tackle issues related to COVID-19,” Servian said. “Shortage of truck drivers [lead] to a delayed shipment. And the delivery times for ingredients and packaging are longer, ”she said. To deal with the disruption, Just Born took extra time to bring the products to market.

“We were actually able to plan things earlier this year to make sure we didn’t face some of the challenges,” Servian said.

The homies are back with a vengeance

The company has also enlarged its Peeps pumpkins to be consistent with other shapes, a change that helps streamline packaging. Pumpkins got a facelift too, with some wacky sporting expressions.

Just Born is based in Pennsylvania and makes the majority of its candy in the United States, Servian said, noting that local production helps put the company “in a great position” relative to its peers who rely more on chain stores. international supply. This is also to give US retailers the peace of mind that they will be able to fill orders, according to Servian.

“Retailers are really looking at seasonal brands produced in the United States,” she said. Just Born is a private company that does not share sales figures, but said its seasonal business, which includes Halloween and Christmas and Easter engagements, is up about 30% from 2019. She noted that Halloween Peeps represents less than 5% of its total Peeps production by volume.

Just Born also makes Mike and Ike, Hot Tamales, and Goldenberg’s Peanut Chews. The company resumed production of these items after its factory reopened, but did not sell any special Halloween packaging last year. This year he is selling snack packs in bags of 100 units, which can be used for Trick or Treat.

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