Pop Goes the Profit – Red Button Popcorn’s Explosive Success
Red Button Vintage Creamery’s expansion into gourmet popcorn has exceeded all expectations, with 337,086 bags sold in just the first 22 months — an average of more than 14,000 bags per month. That’s nearly 7,700 more bags per month than the previous Exclusive Brand Pip Pop offering, confirming the move to Red Button was the right one.
All those sales add up to approximately 187,500 pounds of popcorn, or roughly the weight of 525 gorillas’ worth of crunchy goodness.
“The response from our customers has been absolutely incredible,” says Boyd Irving, vice president of exclusive brands. “This represents such an exciting opportunity for us, and the strong consumer interest we’re seeing validates our decision to expand the Red Button brand into this category.”
The gourmet popcorn line represents a natural evolution of the beloved Red Button Vintage Creamery brand from its nostalgic ice cream, pie and candy roots. Each flavor is kettle-popped in small batches using only the highest quality ingredients, ensuring customers receive premium products that meet the Red Button standard of excellence.
Movie Theater Popcorn has emerged as the clear customer favorite, accounting for 57 percent of all sales with 195,222 bags sold. Gourmet flavors make up 38 percent of sales (130,968 bags), while seasonal offerings represent the remaining 5 percent (10,896 bags).
Due to the strong response to the everyday gourmet lineup, Red Button will launch new seasonal, limited-time-only (LTO) flavors starting in holiday 2025. These festive flavors will complement popular Red Button Vintage Creamery ice cream LTOs such as Orange Stick, Peppermint, and Cinnamon Bear — with real cinnamon bears in every bag.
What makes this success story even sweeter is its local roots. The popcorn is produced in Utah by Lee’s Marketplace in Logan, underscoring AFS’s commitment to supporting local businesses and keeping operations close to home.
Available exclusively in Associated Food Stores’ member locations, the gourmet popcorn is sold in convenient six-pack cases with resealable bags, line-priced at $5.99. This local-proud approach to product development showcases how AFS continues to innovate while staying true to its community-focused values.
The current flavor lineup includes:
- Movie Theater Popcorn (24oz)
- Cheesy Finger Cheddar
- Creamy White Chocolate
- Sweet and Savory Cheesy Caramel
- Cozy Kitchen Caramel Corn
- Caramel Chocolate Drizzle
- State Fair Kettle Corn
With everyday favorites driving steady sales and seasonal flavors on the horizon, Red Button gourmet popcorn is poised for even more explosive growth.
