Twinkies made a sweet but surprising comeback Friday, hitting store shelves three days before the official relaunch. And it delighted customers at the Chatsworth Ralphs in the 21000 block of Devonshire Street.
A pallet by the meat department stacked with the treats was a popular attraction. "People are very excited and happy. We have them and Ding Dongs in the variety pack. They are coming back as strong as ever," said a store manager, who asked not to be identified.
"I've been hearing people say, 'Oh, my God, they're here,' " he said. "And it's more adults than kids. That brand has been around for a while." The manager could not resist a Twinkie or two, either. "I got two packages. I'm almost out."
Kansas City-based Hostess Brands had planned a Monday return but didn't seem to mind that Ralphs, Wal-Mart and some others retailers were stuffing their shelves early.
"We are thrilled with the overwhelming response and loyalty in connection with Hostess' historic comeback," the company said in a statement, adding that demand is running several times ahead of prior years' levels so the spongy, yellow cakes were shipped to warehouses of every major retail customer across the country well in advance of the official rollout.
Hostess also shipped thousand of "ready to display" pallets to many retailers
The "shipments were coordinated to give everyone the same opportunity to display the product on July 15." But some retailers just wouldn't wait. Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, announced Friday that the cakes were available in about 1,600 stores and that about 3,000 of its 4,000 U.S. stores should have them by Sunday morning.
"The product was in our distribution centers, and we went out early," said Veronica Marshall, a spokeswoman for Wal-Mart.
Marshall said Wal-Mart had worked with Hostess to make special packaging with the words "First Batch" available exclusively at its stores.
Kroger, which owns Ralphs, Fry's Food and Drug Stores and Food 4 Less, also said the cakes were available in about a quarter of its more than 2,400 stores Friday and that the figure would expand over the weekend.
Hostess went bankrupt late last year, after years of management turmoil and a standoff with its second-biggest union. The company sold off its various brands, with Twinkies and other Hostess cakes going to private equity firms Apollo Global Management and Metropoulos & Co., which is known for fixing up ailing brands, then selling them for a profit.
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