Purchase panic

Thousands of consumers nationwide purchase armfuls of Twinkies, in the wake of Hostess Brands’ announcement that the company is going out of business. Some stores in the country are already sold out of the snack, and prices on E-Bay are skyrocketing. A statement by Hostess CEO Gregory Rayburn prompted the widespread fear that Twinkies will soon be permanently gone from supermarket shelves.

Hostess Brands will move promptly to lay off most of its 18,500-member workforce and focus on selling its assets to the highest bidders.