Jewel shoppers: Get those Twinkies now

Itasca-based Jewel-Osco stores around the suburbs are expected to have among the last shipments of Twinkies and other Hostess products on their shelves starting Tuesday morning.

Shipments will arrive at some suburban stores when they open Tuesday, while others will receive their shipments later in the day. And there's no limit on how many Twinkies you could buy, said Jewel spokeswoman Karen May.

So will it be like Black Friday?

“Well, we have alerted security,” May said.

In late November, Hostess Brands Inc., maker of Twinkies, Ding Dongs and other snacks, announced that the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York had approved its emergency interim motion to wind down its business and the sale of its assets. The judge approved the motion after the company and the Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco and Grain Millers Union were unable to reach an agreement during an 11th-hour mediation, Hostess said in a statement.

As a result, Hostess then began winding down the company after a nationwide strike initiated by the union that started on Nov. 9. The company said the strike had “crippled its operations at a time when the company lacked the financial resources to survive a significant labor action.”

Jewel-Osco's deal with Hostess includes 21,780 units of classic Twinkies in 10-packs. Each 10-pack will be sold at the regular price of $4.29.

Besides those cream-filled yellow cakes, Jewel also will sell orange cupcakes, Ding Dongs and a variety of Zingers. All will be sold at regular prices and no special promotions will be provided until everything is sold, May said.

For a complete list of participating stores and when the Hostess products will be available, visit the Jewel-Osco Facebook page at www.facebook.com/jewelosco.