Where Have All the Skittles Gone??

I warned you I've got writer's block, right?

Bear with me while I whine about festively colored candy.

The Rite Aid by my house is supposed to have Fun Sized Bags of Skittles on sale this week for $0.99.

Not just a single bag (that would totally be a rip off for .99, but, a BAG of fun-sized bags of skittles. For .99. I KNOW. It's a good price.)

BUT, they never seem to actually HAVE the Skittles for sale. Fun size bags of Skittles are my kids FAVORITE FAVORITE FAVORITE candy. (And also mine, barring dark chocolate.)

I was there on SUNDAY MORNING at 9:30, before they even had the sale stickers up (not because I am that insane for Fun Size bags of Skittles, but because I was at Rite Aid getting other things, and I noticed that their ad said they were on sale for .99.)

I wandered over the candy aisle (the store was EMPTY. EMPTY I tell you), and the store clerk was hanging the sale notice over a sad section of candy bin that had ONE (1!!) bag of fun-size packets of Skittles in the bin.

I grabbed the single bag. I asked the clerk, "Do you have more of these?"

He said, "No, actually, we don't."

I said, "you have ONE bag of the candy item that is supposed to be your special this week?"

"Um, yeah," said the clerk. I think he was about 17. And he actually LOOKED 17. (Not like on TV where all the boys who are supposed to be 17 look like they are about 26. This kid, looked like a kid.)

"Do you think you'll be getting some more?" I asked.

"Um...I don't know. And my manager isn't here right now? So...maybe you should try again later in the week."

"You know you didn't have these at Valentine's Day, either? I mean, you were supposed to have them at Valentine's Day, but you didn't ever have them. Ever. Not even on sale, I mean, you didn't have them. Maybe you should tell your manager."

Store clerk boy looks at me like I am a 'very troublesome customer' what with all the harping on the apparent Skittles shortage and pushes his glasses up his face a bit. "There's no rain checks, um, on those, so, I really think you should try later in the week."

"I'll do that, thanks."

Then I walked over to the register, and he followed me, because he was the only person in the store who was working. I think he was terrified I was going to go on and on and on about the Skittles some more, but I figured, he's just a 17-year-old kid, who is clearly not in charge of the merchandise ordering.

I do wonder, though, if this shortage of Skittles is limited to my neighborhood Rite Aid, or if the Skittles company has cut way back on production, or what.

This girl? Would like a rainbow of fruit flavors. In fun size bags.

I wonder if there is some freakish Skittle hording household in the neighborhood of my local Rite Aid, buying up all the candy? What do you think? Are you having trouble finding Skittles, too?

LM