Hormel: Compleat Edition Prices Surge Despite Variant Fatigue
Online presales of Hormel: Compleat Edition meals skyrocketed this week, leaving collectors of the pre-made food product scrambling.
Online presales of Hormel: Compleat Edition meals skyrocketed this week, leaving collectors of the pre-made food product scrambling.
Compleat Edition is Hornel’s 93rd set release. Over that time, Hormel has doubled down on its strategy of expanding collectability of its flagship product by releasing multiple variants of in an attempt to appeal to a wide breadth of fans.
“It’s pretty simple,” asserted a Hormel R&D representative close to the matter, “While delicious, not everyone is a fan of Swedish Meatballs. We decided this time to produce a full lineup of 24 meals. Each variant is semantically equivalent, however, each flavor profile is inspired by the Hormel storyline.”
Critics, however, have been vocal online claiming that Hormel has gone too far – citing increasing financial demands on collectors and local food stores alike feeling pressure to acquire each product. In addition, certain variants are more popular than others, resulting in presale price spikes as fans all clamber to claim their favorites while supplies last.
Hotspots in demand became more than apparent this week, with flavors such as Cheese Manicotti in Ichor, which presold for an average $80 three weeks ago, now preselling for over $180 and currently no longer available at most major retailers.