It's Back: The Frango Mint Price Trak™

By John Dodge

CHICAGO (CBS) --The Christmas music streamed merrily in the main hall at Macy's on State Street, granted just a few days after Halloween.

However, this is not a story about the merits of playing "Sleigh Ride" in early November.  This is much, much more important.

The music meant only one thing: Tis the season to track the price of one of those traditional holiday gift favorites--a box of Frango mints.

"Giddy-yap, giddy-yap, let's go!"

The price of a regular box of the beloved candy is about as volatile as gasoline at this time of the year. There was one time when the price was so out of control that it actually was different, in the same store. 

So, for the third straight year, CBS Chicago brings you the Frango Mint Price Trak™.

The music was a clue: There had to be a deal.

And there was, a one-pound box was selling Friday for $12.99. Macy's card users can knock off another $1.94.

That's a pretty hefty cut from the regular price of $24 and might be worth pursuing if you are pressed for time.

However, historical data from the analysts at Frango Mint Price Trak™ indicate that the price could drop to historical lows around Thanksgiving.  Experts have tracked the price as low as $9.99.

Generally, a $12.99 price point is a good deal. Frango Mint Price Trak™ has seen the candy fluctuate between $9.99 and $14.99 during the winter season.  (Typically, the price says around $24 for much of the summer. )

Frango Mints also recently came back under Chicago ownership, with Garrett Brand (of popcorn fame) buying it from Macy's. 

Frango Mints were created on the West Coast in 1918, but were acquired by Chicago department store Marshall Field's in 1929, and long were made at their flagship State Street store.

When Marshall Field's was acquired by Minneapolis-based Dayton Hudson in 1990, production of Frango mints was later outsourced to Pennsylvania. Two years after Macy's acquired Marshall Field's in 2005, some production returned to Chicago.