Nostalgic Twinkies Brand Makes its Way to the Cereal Aisle

One of America’s oldest and most recognizable snack cake brands, Hostess Twinkies, is venturing into the cereal market with the help of Post Consumer Brands.

The two companies announced in a recent press release, “Twinkies Cereal” will be available for consumers nationwide this December, and will deliver the same taste, shape and color as the classic golden sponge cake without the cream filling.

“In developing a cereal version of the iconic Twinkies, our top priority was focused on delivering the great Twinkies flavor in each bite,” said Josh Jans, brand manager of cereal partnerships at Post Consumer Brands. ” We think fans will find that it not only tastes great with milk but also outside the bowl.”

This isn’t the first time Hostess has integrated its baked goods into the cereal market, the company partnered with Post back in late 2018 to turn their Honey Bun and Donettes into a cereal-based snack.

Despite cereal being one of the largest breakfast categories in the US, its growth margin has been on a steady decline. According to the Los Angeles Times sales were down 17 percent from 2009 to 2016.

In addition, Nielson predicts the market will decrease at a compound annual growth rate of 1.5 percent, due to consumers gravitating towards eggs, sausages and other ‘heathier’ breakfast items that are convenient, nutritious, low cost and easier to eat on-the-go.

As a result, many cereal companies are rebranding their products as snacks instead of breakfast items. This explains the spike in collaborations between cereal manufactures and confectionary brands. Some examples include Post’s Sour Patch Kids cereal, General Mills Drumstick cereal, and Kellogg’s marshmallow flavored  Peeps.

Rebranding cereal into the snack market seems like a promising alternative in order to enhance category growth. According to Mintel more than 43 percent of US consumers eat cereal as a snack at home with millennials dominating this segment at 56 percent.

Millennials and Generation Z are known to snack more throughout the day in comparison to previous generations, giving cereal brands the opportunity to transform their favorite childhood breakfast into a late-night guilty indulgence.

While the health-conscious consumer trend seems to be in full swing, it’s clear there will always be a market for people looking to satisfy their sweet tooth craving. Both Hostess and Post are focusing on what they know best­, which is flavor, to increase sales as opposed to better-for-you ingredients.