Huy Fong Sriracha Resellers are Profiting From the Shortage

News

By RC Staff

04 July 2023

If you’ve been grocery shopping lately, you might have been unable to find one item on your list. Sweet, sweet sriracha has become a hot commodity yet again. Huy Fong Foods confirmed that supply will be reduced this summer, disappointing fans of the condiment for the second year in a row. While that spells disaster for folks who like to slather their meals in the delicious red sauce, it’s also an opportunity for resellers. Sealed bottles of Huy Fong sriracha are being listed on eBay right now, and they are selling for much more than the grocery store charges.

Huy Fong Sriracha Shortage

Hey, have you heard of climate change? It’s this cool new catastrophe that everyone likes to pretend isn’t happening. While there are a variety of scientists and models predicting all kinds of consequences from sea level rise to frequent hurricanes, a new Sahel in the US, a global refugee crisis, or wars over water, there’s also one far more dire: expensive hot sauce.

Sriracha is a spicy condiment of Thai origin. It’s mainly a mix of vinegar, spices, and dried chili peppers. While there are all kinds of sriracha out there, the most iconic is produced by Huy Fong Foods. The recognizable bottles feature a green cap and rooster logo, which is what gives Huy Fong’s sriracha the lovable nickname of “cock sauce”.

Huy Fong uses jalapeños to produce their sauce, which are grown in Mexico and southern California. The highly-publicized droughts of the last few years in the region have not been kind to the chili crop, and yields have fallen. In turn, this has slowed the production of Huy Fong’s sriracha. Ask anyone who loves the sauce, and they’ll tell you just how important the peppers are.

Less bottles going out the factory doors means that there are not enough reaching consumers. Grocery stores have trouble stocking the product, and it does not stay on shelves for long. While sriracha only costs a few dollars at retail, sealed bottles are reselling amid the shortage for five or ten times more than at the store.

Buying sriracha on eBay

As we all know, when there’s a lot of demand and not enough supply, there’s an opportunity for resellers. Huy Fong sriracha is the sriracha of choice for most folks, and that dedication means many are willing to pay a premium to have it.

Right now, a sealed bottle of 17oz Huy Fong sriracha resells for around $20 to $30. 28oz bottles are going for around $40. Those usually retail for under $4 each.

So, next time you head to the grocery store, check the condiment aisle. Sriracha is red gold right now, and is easy to resell. Every day eBay records 20+ sales for well over retail, and the shortage will likely not end any time soon. In fact, it’s looking like things will be like this for the rest of the year.

Make sure you’re subscribed to our newsletter for updates on everything worth reselling. Also, Resell Calendar’s second Raffle for Retail is open now. You could have the chance to buy a Ben Johns rookie card for just $4, while PSA 10 examples have resold for $300.