London-born, Cincinnati-based Doughlicious is doubling its holiday retail presence this season with two limited-edition releases timed to December traffic peaks: a 12-Day Advent Calendar exclusive to Target and a standalone Peppermint White Chocolate Cookie Dough & Gelato Bites pack debuting nationwide at Whole Foods Market.
The Product Lineup
The $11.99 Target advent calendar packs 12 bite-sized cookie dough and gelato creations, each clocking in at 100 calories. Nine of the 12 flavors are calendar-exclusive, including Gingerbread, Eggnog, Caramel Kettle Corn, Pumpkin Pie Crumble, and Bûche de Noël, alongside three existing fan favorites. The standout door is a brand collaboration with candy maker Rotten®: a Rotten Cherry Bomb combining sour cherry cookie dough, vanilla gelato, and Rotten Sour Crunchies. "Rotten is always hunting for unique ways to sneak our world into places people already love," said Rotten Founder and CEO Michael Fisher, "and this let us in on one of the best holiday items at Target."
The Whole Foods play is equally targeted. The Peppermint White Chocolate Bites mark the first time that flavor has appeared as a standalone retail SKU, priced at a promotional SRP of $4.99 at Whole Foods Market, with distribution extending to other U.S. retailers beginning in early November.
Retail Strategy and Operator Relevance
For foodservice and specialty retail buyers watching the better-for-you frozen snack segment, the Doughlicious holiday push illustrates a broader trend: challenger brands using seasonal exclusives to lock in shelf space at mass and premium grocery accounts simultaneously. Securing an exclusive at Target — one of the country's largest impulse-purchase environments — while placing a different SKU at Whole Foods lets the brand speak to distinct shopper profiles without cannibalization.
All products are made with gluten-free oats and contain no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. Founder Kathryn Bricken, who launched the brand in London in 2017 before relocating production to Cincinnati, frames the advent calendar as a product-development sandbox. "We're constantly experimenting with new flavors," Bricken said, "and the calendar lets us bring some of our favorites to life alongside the Doughlicious flavors people already love."
The limited-edition approach also mirrors tactics gaining traction across the frozen and specialty food retail landscape, where scarcity and seasonal storytelling drive trial among premium consumers. For operators and buyers in the hospitality channel, the 100-calorie-per-piece format and clean-label positioning make these bites a viable candidate for amenity programs, minibar concepts, and curated dessert offerings — an angle worth watching as hotel and resort F&B teams sharpen their holiday menu and retail programming.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
