Viewers have already begun planning tasty trips to Tennessee this new year in order to visit a Little Debbie outlet store located near Chattanooga.
The store went viral in a video posted to TikTok on Dec. 18, in which TikToker Ashley (@ashleyandblairbeauty) documented her trip through aisles of shockingly low-priced favorites like the Cosmic Brownie and Honey Bun.
Ashley explained that while she does not frequent the store often due to its hours, the deals inside are too good to pass up.
“What’s really fun about this store is that they have some of the Little Debbie merch,” she told 1.3 million viewers, panning her camera across an inflatable red and white Christmas tree and rows of T-shirts, hats, mugs and candles. “All this stuff is so cute.”
She filled her cart with boxes of Cosmic Brownies, Glazed Donut Sticks, and Sunbelt Bakery fudge-dipped granola bars, to viewers’ delight. “Nothing here is expired,” Ashley explained in her TikTok. “Some of it is kind of short dated, overstocked, damaged boxes, that kind of situation.”
There appear to be at least five Little Debbie outlet stores nationwide with two residing in Tennessee. One user noted that the Collegedale location often had more items in stock, roughly 20 miles away from the Hixson store that Ashley visited.
Arkansas is home to two more store locations, with a fifth store in Virginia.
Because McKee Foods Corporation is headquartered in Collegedale, Tennessee, the Little Debbie outlets are a “staple” in the area, Ashley told the Daily Dot.
She described the recent opening of a Little Debbie park, where visitors can observe the company’s history along a walking path while kids can play on life-sized creations of different Little Debbie snacks.
“When you mention the Little Debbie store around here, people know where you mean,” Ashley told the Dot. “It is for sure an easier shopping experience than going to a big box store.”
Her favorite things to shop for are the Zebra Cakes and Star Crunch snacks, she said.
“The Little Debbie store may be a little less convenient because you are only there for the snacks, but it’s worth a little extra trip,” Ashley told the Dot. “You know you are supporting something local that has added so much to our community.”
@ashleyandblairbeauty Little Debbie store shopping! Yum! #littledebbiestore #littledebbiechristmastreecakes #littledebbiesnacks #littledebbiecosmicbrownies #littledebbiebakery #littledebbieoulet #littledebbieinflatable #littledebbiesnackcakes #littledebbiesarelife #chattanoogatn🇺🇲 #chattanoogatn2023 ♬ Holiday Bae Instrumental – SAMUEL GRACE
Viewers expressed shock over such low prices. “I love little Debbie and the reason I don’t buy them is because the price went up in stores,” @themisfittoycollector revealed.
“That’s wild that’s what they used to cost,” another user noted about the outlet prices. Responding to their comment, Ashley recalled boxes of Little Debbie snack cakes costing only a quarter when she visited the outlet as a child.
Other viewers lamented the absence of popular Christmas Tree Cakes from the outlet’s shelves. “I think there was a Christmas tree shortage,” one guessed. “I found them once went back to get more none anywhere in my area.”
“the xmas trees are my top pregnancy craving,” another user shared. “i drove all over town to find them lmao.”
Some recalled Hostess brand outlets in their areas growing up. “My grandma used to take us when we were little. She would buy a cart full of old bread for $2 for the birds,” one user remembered.
The Daily Dot reached out to Ashley via Instagram direct message and to McKee Foods via email.
