MRS. MAY’S NATRUAL INC.
Carson – Profiled December 2007
If 2008 was a year of expansion for Mrs. May’s Naturals Inc., then 2009 is shaping up to be a year of cheaper products designed to meet the challenges of the recession.
When the Carson maker of nut, fruit and seed snacks was profiled by the Business Journal one year ago, its goal was to get the vegan products into traditional grocery chains.
The company succeeded: Its nut clusters and bars are now sold in Ralphs, Gelson’s and some Whole Foods Markets. “Business has increased steadily; we have been growing every year,” said Jonathan Son, vice president of May’s Naturals.
Much of the success can be attributed to consumers’ increasing interest in healthy snacks. The products include mixes of traditional Asian snack staples, such as pumpkin seeds, along with nuts and fruits more familiar to American snackers such as almonds and bananas.
The company this month will introduce a product with a price point well below its popular clusters, which retail for $1.49 to $1.69. The product, called the Cube, is specifically designed for the current economic climate and at first will sell exclusively at 99 & #728; Only Stores, the discount retail chain.
The 99 cent snack is similar to the company’s traditional May’s Naturals’ clusters: a bag of the cube snacks includes 2 ounces of nut- and fruit-based morsels. However, the main ingredient peanuts offers significant cost savings over the pistachios, almonds and other more expensive nuts that form the base of its other snacks. The Cube will come in banana, cranberry and mango varieties.
Son said that the company first began work on the concept in June after discussing it with 99 & #728; Only Stores representatives at an industry trade show. “We figured we needed to have something that we could offer to lower-end markets like 99 & #728; Only Stores,” he said. “The economy was bad but it wasn’t as bad as it is now. It turns out to be perfect timing for us.”
Since the profile, Vice President of Sales James Kim has left the company.
