Counting down to Easter with some of our favorite Easter candy: Pez
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We’re counting down to Easter by celebrating some of our favorite Easter candies. So far, we’ve covered the Whitman’s Sampler, Cadbury Creme Eggs, Godiva and See’s chocolates, and Peeps. Here, we consider the Easter-themed Pez dispenser.
Price: $1.79 for most dispensers, which come with two rolls of candy. Six-packs of candy sell for $1.59.
Where you can buy it: Grocery stores, dollar stores, drugstores, and some toy stores
Claim to fame: Pez bills itself as “the pioneer of interactive candy” and “an alternative to smoking.” The dispensers are collectible items, and new ones are introduced regularly to keep up with popular-culture names and trends. In October 2010, a rare dispenser depicting a white elephant sold for more than $6,000 on EBay.
Has it changed over the years? Pez was invented as a breath mint in 1927 in Austria. Fruity flavors were introduced in the 1950s to target children in the U.S. market. Dispensers took many forms -- cigarette lighters, guns, plush animals. Chocolate-flavored Pez rolls came out in 2008. Other flavors include Cola and Sour.
Bottom line: PEZ Candy Inc. is a privately owned business and does not release sales figures to the public. But various reports suggest that demand has increased in recent years. The company has become more aggressive in offering seasonal items, including a variety of Easter bunny dispensers. In 2009, Pez’s Easter sales posted a 7% jump over the previous year.
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-- Clare Abreu