So let's talk about movies, shall we?  This summer, a little film-musical called "Mamma Mia" opened in movie theaters, and though it featured no super-heroes nor gun-fire, nor a single invading alien, it has grossed more than $500 million worldwide to date.  At to that THIS little bit of news, that it raked in $30 million on its first day of DVD sales, and you've really perked up people's ears.

Now "Mamma Mia" surely isn't your typical box office fare.  It's got singing and dancing, a silly story about questionable paternity, it's based on music written over 30 years ago, and its well respected lead is generally known more for her accents rather than her box office numbers.  And yet, this film has rocked Hollywood, grossing more than any previous musical ever made, winning acclaim and a fortune even though reviews really weren't that great, and there certainly wasn't huge promotion by the studio.

What there WAS, however, was a market for the product, with an ample number of members (er, uh, WOMEN), with buying power, and with a woefully under-served hunger for entertainment.  I happen to know at least two mother that saw the film, and then took their daughters to see the film, and one of them went a third time with friends.  I assume that this happened the country over, and such word-of-mouth turned a $55 million picture into an industry-rocking block-buster.

Why, you might ask, do I bring up this movie that not only fails to feature Peeled Snacks, but which in fact isn't a food product of any kind?  Fair question.  I offer up that "Mamma Mia" operated very much like Peeled Snacks in that it went for a neglected demographic and served it a quality product in spite of an industry that typically ignores that demographic's real needs and demands.  On the heels of "Mamma Mia"s success, I keep expecting to see a bunch of new movies aimed at that same audience being made.  But no, nothing like it seems to be in development.

The powers that be in Hollywood probably never expected such a success, and probably blame it on a fluke.  We at Peeled Snacks deal with vendors and customers who consistently also don't understand who we're going after, and therefore back us often half-heartedly.  But our market is out there, and it is HUNGRY for good product.  We know for whom we make our snacks, and we're so happy that they've found us.  It's too bad, though, that we don't have ABBA songs packed into every bag.

Happy Holidays from Peeled Snacks,

Peeled Skinny, always trying to offer up yummy, healthy snacks to the dancing queens of the world