Sriracha lovers are paying upwards of $70 per bottle to online resellers due to the prominent sriracha sauce manufacturer, Huy Fong Foods, Inc., struggling with supply as chili crops fail.
As droughts in Mexico are killing off pepper crops, persistent chili supply disruptions are impeding production within the country’s leading sriracha sauce maker for a second consecutive year. As a result, exorbitantly priced bottles of the coveted sauce are being listed on e-commerce platforms such as Amazon an eBay by online resellers. Typically, 9-, 17- and 28-ounce bottles of Huy Fong Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce retail at Target and Walmart for less than $5, however, they appear to be currently sold out.
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At the time of publication, scarce listings for the sauce sporadically appeared on Amazon — one selection exhibiting a price of $123.28 for a two 17-ounce bottles. While some single 28-ounce bottles of the sriracha are currently found on eBay for as “low” as $25, other listings are asking for as much as $73 for a bottle of the same size. Bundles containing 50 small packets with under an ounce each are being advertised for $23.94.
Some resellers of Huy Fong sriracha have over 100 transactions for the product in the past month, according to analytics, and many listings have been viewed by thousands of Amazon shoppers.
“Unfortunately, we can confirm that there is an unprecedented shortage of our products,” a representative of Huy Fong Foods told Fox Business. “We are still endeavoring to resolve this issue that has been caused by several spiraling events, including unexpected crop failure from the spring chili harvest. We hope for a fruitful fall season and thank our customers for their patience and continued support during this difficult time.”
The brand only retails “at a wholesale level” and does not “set or control retail pricing,” the spokesperson added.
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