Carroll Shelby's Original Texas Brand Chili

Maybe I'm obsessing about this, but should I be buying up all the Carroll Shelby's Original Texas Brand Chili that I can find now that Reily Foods has changed the packaging from the traditional bag to a more common box?

John

 

Shelby made cornbread for a short period of time, but I gave it away because of the fact that it had bell peppers in it. Now I wished I had kept them as collector items.

John

 

I received the following reply from the owners of Carroll Shelby's Original Texas Brand Chili (Kit):

Reily Foods Company

I received your letter dated November 19 concerning our decision to change the packaging of our Carroll Shelby's Original Texas Brand Chili. I understand your disappointment as I agree that the bag is more distinctive than the new carton. I would like to share with you some of the reasons for the change but first please know that any change of this magnitude is done with great care and research because of the obvious risk in disappointing current, loyal users such as yourself.

1) We were experiencing quite a number of consumer complaints about missing spice packets. The incomplete products were due to the difficulty in packing the four spice packets into a small, flexible bag. The rigid carton allows us to be much more accurate with the packing of Carroll Shelby's spice packets, thereby minimizing consumer frustration over not receiving what they paid for.

2) The carton also allows us to avoid a price increase on Carroll Shelby's. Despite the increased costs of spices, labor, freight, etc., we are able to maintain our current pricing as the box is a more efficient form to run on a production line.

3) The new carton provides an opportunity to reduce packaging as we no longer need to use a full, six-sided shipping case which was necessary with the bag to allow for stacking in the warehouse .. This change will reduce landfill use.

4) The bag was getting lost or crushed on the shelf in many locations which made it difficult for regular users to find and for new users to become aware of this high quality, authentic chili kit. The carton provides greater shelf presence and• keeps the competition from encroaching onto our hard earned shelf space. This change has enhanced brand recognition.

Again, I understand your disappointment with our decision to change the Carroll Shelby's packaging. But I hope the reasons I have outlined help you better understand why we made this challenging decision. I also hope that we can count on you to remain a loyal user of Carroll Shelby's. Enclosed, please accept these coupons for your next purchases.

Sincerely,


David T. Darragh
President & Chief Executive Officer
Reily Foods Company

 

Dear California Dreamin,

I could not help but notice that you did not disclose these "few other ingredients". Does this mean it's a secret recipe?

John