Here's What You Need To Know About The Possible Holiday Cookie Shortage
As a nation, Americans love their cookies, and we can see why. They're happiness in a bite because they're sweet, flavorful, and come in reasonably-sized servings that aren't likely to break the daily calorie bank unless we give in to our cravings and demolish a bag or box in one sitting.
But because it's 2020, because we're in the midst of a pandemic, and because many of us are staying home as a result, more cookies are being eaten – and by more, we mean by 25 percent. Bloomberg says a combination of increased consumption and strained supply lines due to illness and COVID means we're likely to see fewer Milanos, Chessmen, Bordeaux or Linzer shaped cookies from Pepperidge Farm this holiday season.
Pepperidge Farm's owner, Campbell Soup, is no stranger to pandemic-related shortages, and they've already increased the rate of making soup and Goldfish to meet demand. But Pepperidge Farm cookies are another story. In a statement, Campbell's told Bloomberg that "This [cookie] portfolio is unique with proprietary recipes, and therefore we do not outsource production. We've prioritized increasing supply and are already leveraging capacity opportunities across the network to meet increases in demand and maximize availability."
Americans consume a head-turning amount of cookies
America's cookie stats, whether or not they are COVID-related, are certainly eye-popping. Other than the 25 percent increase in cookie demand, the survey company Top Data says one in five Americans eat more than three cookies a day, on average, and 95 percent of Americans eat a cookie every month. Nearly 40 percent of the people who took the survey also said they consumed more than 48 cookies a month, and more than 30 percent of those surveyed said they consumed between 24 to 42 cookies a month, and nearly 23 percent said they ate between six to 18 cookies a month.
Pepperidge Farm has a lot of work to do to keep up with this kind of demand, but it says it's up to the task. A company spokesman has sent his assurances via Today to cookie fans, saying "We've made these cookies for decades and we'll continue to make them. There will be plenty of Pepperidge Farm cookies for Santa." Santa and his parent elves are grateful.