Twinkies At Walmart: Sweetest Comeback In The History Of Ever?

By Christy Strawser
@cstrawser1

DETROIT (CBS Detroit) Remember when you thought you'd have to keep boxes of Twinkies stockpiled in the attic, dusting them off for consumption for years and years?

You can still do that -- but you don't have to.

Twinkies are back. They officially returned to the shelves of Walmart stores today.

After bankruptcy stalled production of the sweet and spongy yellow treats, they'll roll out to the rest of retailers across the country again Monday.

And the new version could be said to be "improved." They have a shelf life of 45 days, instead of the former 26 days.

At the end of 2012, following a bankruptcy and a prolonged labor dispute that involved a "crippling" work stoppage, Hostess announced it has ceased operations at all plants. Management reportedly intended to sell all assets and lay off 18,500 employees.

Then a Michigan crowdfunding firm got involved, raising $2 million quickly to save Hostess brands and its iconic offerings, including Twinkies, Sno Balls and Ho Hos.

But in the end, crowdsourcing wasn't necessary, Hostess sold its brands to an equity management firm -- and they breathed new life into Twinkies.