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Introducing ‘Jammies’

Wednesday, January 1, 2025
filed under: Utilization/Trade: Confection-Non-oil

From Red River Commodities & SunButter

jammies — Photo credit: Red River Commodities

        Some things just taste better together: peanut butter and jelly top the list for many of us.
        Now there’s a new alternative that will allow even those with peanut allergies to enjoy a PB&J sandwich, or should we say an SB&J?
        Red River Commodities has been making SunButter® for a number of years. Now, the Fargo-based company has introduced a new product that’s getting delicious reviews.
        Wyatt Mund is senior marketing manager at SunButter for Red River Commodities. He shared more information about the crust-less, nut-less and scrumptious sandwiches with Jody Kerzman.

Explain the idea behind your product.
        We have had SunButter for quite a few years. It is a great peanut-free solution for those with allergies, and the taste and health aspects have sparked even more interest in our product.
        I think what Jammies has going for it is the solid SunButter name. Our core consumers are those who have a need for the product; they have allergies and need an alternative to peanut butter. We’ve been hearing for a long time, “You guys need to make something that’s comparable to that other big name brand but is peanut free.”
        We knew we could make something; it just took time to get it ready. We launched it last year (2023), and it’s been going great since day one.
        Jammies come in two flavors: SunButter with grape jelly and SunButter with strawberry jelly.

Why do you use sunflower?
        There is a demand for peanut-free options. For example, in more and more schools it’s becoming common that if there is someone with an allergy, they have nut-free schools altogether or nut-free tables. Jammies allows people to bring in peanut butter and jelly, or as we call it, the SB& J. Even kids who don’t have a peanut allergy can take our Jammies to school and enjoy it without worrying about who might get sick from your lunch.
        Beyond that though, it really does taste great and it’s a cleaner label. It’s non-GMO, whole grains, seven grams of protein, and there’s just not a lot of added “extras.” It has a lot of good stuff going for it.

What kinds of challenges have you faced along the way?
        SunButter has an amazing distribution. You can find it at least one of our varieties in every store around the U.S. Now, with Jammies, it’s like starting over again. We must pitch it to retailers and see if they'll bring it in. Obviously that other big brand that I mentioned kind of owns the market. So, it is kind of a tough sell sometimes; but luckily, we have that brand following, and the retailers know that SunButter is a reliable brand. So they’re giving us a chance.

What market segments do you supply with Jammies?
        Right now, Jammies are found more in the Midwest. Some of the more-common chains have started to carry them, including Cashwise, Hornbachers, HyVee, Kroger, HEB, Meier and Wegmens. Next year, some more big stores, including Albertsons, Safey and Walmart, will be adding Jammies, too. We are excited about those. Having our product in those stores will double our store count.
        It’s also important to note that Target’s version of our sandwiches is actually our product. They’re so successful with their private label brand [that] we produced one with them and have seen great success. That’s actually the direction the market is going. Consumers are being very conscious about their dollar and leaning toward more store brands.

Are you doing advertising, PR, social media or grassroots efforts to promote your product? If yes, what?
        Follow us on your favorite social media platform: we’re on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, X, YouTube and LinkedIn.
          You can find links to all those profiles on our website, sunbutter.com.