Top supplier warns of possible cookie shortage over holidays
NEW YORK - There may be a shortage of cookies on the shelves this holiday season, one of the biggest commercial producers of confections is warning.
The Campbell Soup Co. brand Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies are seen on a supermarket shelf on Sunday, April 7, 2013. The Campbell Soup Co. announced its support for GMO labeling and will disclose genetically modified organism ingredients on its label
Campbell’s Soup Company, which makes cookies under the Pepperidge Farms brand, warned that it is facing a shortage ahead of its busiest season — including of popular varieties like Milano and Chessman.
In an earnings call with investors, Campbell’s CEO Mark Clouse blamed the shortage on an increase in demand and a labor shortage, both of which are results of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
According to a report compiled by Top Data, American cookie consumption has increased by 25 percent since the start of the pandemic, with 1 in 5 Americans eating three or more cookies per day.
Campbell’s faces additional hurdles in meeting the skyrocketing demand because it does not use third-party manufacturers for Pepperidge Farms cookies — due to the brand’s unique shapes and designs — making it harder for the company to ramp up production to meet increased demand.
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“We’ve prioritized increasing supply and are already leveraging capacity opportunities across the network to meet increases in demand and maximize availability,” Campbell’s said in a statement to Bloomberg News.
Food shortages have been happening all year due to the ongoing pandemic, including a meat shortage that affected major producers like Tyson Foods and Smithfield Foods.
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