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| Fluff for sale at Market Basket in Salem, MA |
The story is a perfect example of the business culture in the 1920's because it is a story of two friends who go off to World War I and come back to find that a fluff product they liked went out of business during the war because there was a sugar shortage. They decide to find the former fluff maker named Archibald Query of Somerville, MA and buy his recipe from him for $500. They then create the name "Fluff" and a whole marketing and branding campaign for the product. They go from selling it door to door in 1920 to stocking it on supermarket shelves all over New England in just a few years. In 1929 they opened up their first two-story factory on Brookline Street in Lynn, MA; and even though businesses were dying all around them as a result of the Great Depression--their business grew so much that they built an even larger factory next door in 1934. During World War II they had to cut back on production as part of the war effort. They converted part of the factory to wrapping electronic and optical parts for the war effort and used their marketing and advertising resources for selling war bonds. Fast forward to 2014 and Fluff is still owned and operated by the same Durkee-Mower families and Fluff is still made on Brookline Street in Lynn. What is different about the story in the present is that Fluff is still owned and made by the same family and was not sold to a large conglomerate.
Excellent story Julia :). Fluffernutter is really delicious to dip all kinds of food items such as rice krispie treats and also Teddy Grams.
ReplyDeleteInteresting story of how the two friends went off to World War I and started their own "Fluff" business since the fluff product they liked went out of business. Selling the "Fluff" door to door, then a few years later stocking it on supermarket shelves and then in 1929 they oepend up their own factory. Luckily their business were since growing big and even build a larger factory during the Great Depression since a ton of the other businesses were dying everywhere. Thank god today that their families is still owned and operated.
I wonder know where the factory could be in Lynn. Maybe I should go look for it someday.
It is amazing to learn about the history of fluff and how a trademark product took off by at first going door to door to sell the product. It is also great to learn about start-up products that originated in this area and to gain knowledge through all these different post about this regions history.
ReplyDeleteI love Fluff of all kinds!
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