Earlier this month, Hersey’s announced a plant-based version of their trademark Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups would be hitting the market. They are the first vegan Hersey’s product to be sold nationally, and are made from chocolate containing oat milk. These will be followed by a plant-based version of Hershey’s Sea Salt and Almond bar, set to release this month.
Current estimates show that at least 54% of the Gen Z population are cutting animal-based products from their diets. And with more consumers of all ages leaning towards plant-based foods, a product like this was in high demand. So high in demand, that no one can seem to find these new chocolatey treats! Facebook groups for vegan recipes and foods are flooded with posts looking for them. And the lucky few that do find them are grabbing them by the case.
This scarcity has caused eBay to enter the chat with some very opportunistic pricing. When we first saw screenshots of vegan Reese’s cups going for insane prices we just assumed they were troll listings. Like we recently saw with people selling water from the now-closed Splash Mountain ride at Disney. But no, they are actually selling for anywhere from $10 to $16 for ONE pack! When they are supposed to retail for around $2.
This early into the launch there is really no way to tell what caused this shortage. It could be people hoarding or it could be Hersey’s underestimating how high the demand is for plant-based options. Even a lot of non-vegans seem to be curious to try them, another market that may have been underestimated. Either way, we hope it is smoothed out before the rest of the line hits.
If you’re curious to try vegan peanut butter cups, but don’t want to pay an arm and a leg to do so, you’re in luck. There are plenty of other companies that offer peanut butter chocolate treats. Some are already nationally available in stores. Others are available via Amazon. UNREAL and Justin’s currently seem to dominate the market with many saying they taste a lot like a traditional Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.
