A new survey of millennials shows that Friendsgiving, the phenomenon of celebrating Thanksgiving with friends, will live up to its name this year. Most of those surveyed said they would rather socialize with friends than spend time cooking in the kitchen. In fact, 83 percent are fine with purchasing a dish to share, and if there is a way to save time and money preparing for Friendsgiving, 78 percent will do it, according to the survey conducted by the makers of Mrs. Smith’s® Original Flaky Crust Pies.

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When it comes to Friendsgiving, millennials put friendships first, food second according to a survey conducted by the makers of Mrs. Smith's® Original Flaky Crust Pies. (Photo: Mrs. Smith's Pies)

Friendships are so important to millennials that 64 percent of them say spending time with good friends is their favorite thing about Friendsgiving — in fact, more than half prefer Friendsgiving to Thanksgiving with their families.

It’s the thought — and the pie — that counts
Even for time-crunched and cooking-challenged millennials, great food that is easily accessible is part of the holiday tradition, with nearly half reporting they would more likely to purchase a pie to bring to Friendsgiving than making one from scratch.

The thought of making a homemade pie for Friendsgiving stresses out 44 percent of millennials, and 37 percent of millennials that wouldn’t make a pie from scratch for Friendsgiving said the reason was because, “There are perfectly delicious pies available in the freezer aisle.” Additionally, 30 percent say they wouldn’t make a pie because they lack the required baking chops. What pie is preferred among this group? Pumpkin tops the list, followed by apple.

Creating new traditions with a taste of homemade
“Experiences are important to millennials; creating new traditions is important and friendship is something to be celebrated,” says Kevin McAdams, president of Schwan’s Consumer Brands, Inc. “Mrs. Smith’s® pies are the taste of home, no matter where you are or whom you are with. Our pies provide easy, delicious and cost-efficient options for those of us who may not have the time, skill or patience to make a pie from scratch.”

Mrs. Smith’s® Original Flaky Crust Pies have an award-winning, just-like-homemade crust, made with real sweet cream butter, abundant seasonal fruit and signature spices. Featuring the cleanest label of all store-bought pies, Mrs. Smith’s® fruit pies are free from artificial colors, flavors, trans fats and high fructose corn syrup.

“We ensure every pie tastes as good as the original, which is why Mrs. Smith’s® pies are made with only the finest ingredients. When you serve up a Mrs. Smith’s® pie, you can be sure your guests will feel welcome with every bite,” McAdams said.

Mrs. Smith’s® Original Flaky Crust Pies are available in seven flavors including Very Berry, Cherry, Apple, Dutch Apple, Pumpkin, Peach and Sweet Potato. They are available in your grocer’s freezer aisle for a suggested retail price of $6.99. To find the retailer nearest you, go to www.mrssmiths.com.

The survey was conducted by Russell Research, an independent survey research firm, which conducted 336 online interviews among millennials from October 16 – 19, 2015. The margin of error was plus or minus 5.3 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.

About Mrs. Smith’s® Pies
Mrs. Smith’s® Original Flaky Crust Pies are part of the national brand portfolio of Schwan’s Consumer Brands, Inc., the retail grocery subsidiary of The Schwan Food Company (TheSchwanFoodCompany.com). Schwan’s Consumer Brands’ many popular product lines include Red Baron®, Tony’s®, Bon Appétit™ Freschetta® pizzas, Mrs. Smith’s® and Edwards® desserts, and Pagoda® snacks and appetizers. Based in Minnesota for 63 years, the company’s subsidiaries employ 13,000 people in the United States. For more information about Mrs. Smith’s® products, visit www.MrsSmiths.com.

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