Cinco de Mayo and Taco Tuesday Fall on the Same Day as Old El Paso Celebrates Rare "Taco Totality" with Exclusive Merch and Tacos for Fans Nationwide

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 21, 2026--

For the first time since 2020, Cinco de Mayo and Taco Tuesday fall on the same day, creating what Old El Paso is calling “Taco Totality,” a rare taco eclipse where two taco-filled occasions align – and won’t again until 2037.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260421304884/en/

To mark the historic crossover and to help fans fully experience Taco Totality, Old El Paso is dropping a limited-edition Taco Totality Gear Box packed with the new Old El Paso TABASCO ® Sauce flavored Taco Shells and taco-inspired essentials, designed to protect every bite during the taco eclipse. Each box includes:

“We take tacos very seriously, and Taco Totality is a chance to really celebrate with our biggest fans,” said Meredith Nelson Uram, Business Unit Director for Old El Paso at General Mills. “People can always count on Old El Paso for taco night essentials, but now we’re taking care of the little details — like shield glasses, because chopping onions is no joke.”

To help everyone get ready for the taco eclipse, Old El Paso tapped actor Randy Havens, known for his role as a beloved science teacher in a popular sci-fi drama, to explain the rare taco phenomenon through a series of short educational social videos.

Anyone planning their Taco Totality menu can stock up on Old El Paso favorites, including shells, beans, sauces, rice and the new out-of-this-world Old El Paso Stand ‘N Stuff Taco Shells and Taco Seasoning made with the flavor of TABASCO ® Brand Pepper Sauce, available now nationwide. And since Taco Totality only comes around once in a while, limited time offers like “Save for Cinco” on Ibotta and bonus points on Fetch make it easier to go back for seconds (or thirds).

The collaboration between Old El Paso ® x TABASCO ® Brand was facilitated by IMG Licensing.

For more information about Taco Totality and a chance to win a Gear Box, visit Tacototality.com and follow @OldElPaso on Instagram and @OldElPaso_Official on TikTok.

*To receive savings via Ibotta, purchase qualifying Old El Paso products between April 21, 2026 and May 5, 2026, then redeem offers in the Ibotta app by submitting your receipt in accordance with app instructions. Offers valid on select shells, beans, sauces and rice, while supplies last, for a total value of up to $5. Limit redemptions as specified in the Ibotta app. Registration and use of the Ibotta app subject to its Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. See Ibotta app for full details.

**To earn rewards via Fetch, purchase qualifying Old El Paso products between April 17, 2026 and May 5, 2026, then open the free Fetch Rewards app and scan your receipt within the offer period. (If you are not a current Fetch user, download the free Fetch Rewards app, open an account and follow instructions.) Offer valid while supplies last. Limit 1 redemption per Fetch Rewards account unless otherwise stated. Registration and use of the Fetch Rewards app subject to its Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. See Fetch Rewards app for details.

***NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void where prohibited. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. and D.C., who are at least 18 years of age and the age of majority in their state/jurisdiction of residence as of date of entry. Starts 10:00 a.m. ET on 9/23/25 and ends 11:59 p.m. ET on 10/9/25. For complete rules, visit: https://nationaltacoday.oldelpaso.com. Sponsored by General Mills.

About General Mills

General Mills makes food the world loves. The company is guided by its Accelerate strategy to boldly build its brands, relentlessly innovate, unleash its scale and stand for good. Its portfolio of beloved brands includes household names like Cheerios, Nature Valley, Blue Buffalo, Häagen-Dazs, Old El Paso, Pillsbury, Betty Crocker, Totino’s, Annie’s, Wanchai Ferry and more. General Mills generated fiscal 2025 net sales of U.S. $19 billion. In addition, the company’s share of non-consolidated joint venture net sales totaled U.S. $1 billion. For more information, visit www.generalmills.com.

ABOUT MCILHENNY COMPANY AND TABASCO ® BRAND

From our home on Avery Island, Louisiana, McIlhenny Company produces TABASCO ® Brand products, including the legendary TABASCO ® Original Red Sauce. A household and restaurant staple around the world, TABASCO ® Sauce is sold in more than 195 countries and territories and labelled in more than 36 languages and dialects. With more than 155 years of pepper expertise, our family-owned and operated company is constantly experimenting with new flavors and products to carry on our legacy of exciting the world's most popular food and drinks. Our core range of pepper sauces includes TABASCO ® Original Red Sauce, TABASCO ® Jalapeño Sauce, TABASCO ® Chipotle Sauce, TABASCO ® Sweet Chili Sauce, TABASCO ® Sriracha, TABASCO ® Habanero Sauce, TABASCO ® Scorpion Sauce, TABASCO ® Buffalo Style Sauce, and our new TABASCO ® Salsa Picante. To learn more about how we #LightThingsUp please visit us at www.tabasco.com or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok and LinkedIn.

Old El Paso® celebrates the overlap of Cinco de Mayo and Taco Tuesday with an eclipse-themed Taco Totality Gear Box including new Old El Paso TABASCO® Sauce flavored Taco Shells.

NEW YORK (AP) — Shoppers accelerated their spending in March from February, but they spent a good chunk of their money at the gas pump.

A spike in gas prices due to the Iran war, now in its eighth week, resulted in a hefty 1.7% gain in retail sales in March after a revised 0.7% increase in February, according to the Commerce Department’s report on Tuesday. The figure marked the fastest one-month increase in retail sales in more than three years.

The report marks the first read on spending to capture the effects of the Iran war.

Excluding gas prices, retail sales were up 0.6%, helped in part by government tax refunds and warm weather.

Business at gas stations rose 15.5% percent.

Elsewhere, shoppers were still willing to spend. Sales at department stores rose 4.2%, while sales at furniture and home furnishings stores were up 2.2%. Online retailers saw a 1% gain. Consumer electronics and appliance stores posted a 0.9% increase. The only area that saw a decline for March was miscellaneous retailers, according to the Commerce report.

The snapshot offers only a partial look at consumer spending and doesn’t include things like travel and hotel stays. The lone services category – restaurants – registered a more modest gain of 0.1%.

The so-called control group—which excludes food services, autos, building materials and gas station sales and is used to calculate economic growth—rose 0.7%. That offered a good sign of broad spending by consumers, economists said.

“It’s a blowout retail sales figure for March,“ Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, wrote in a report.

She noted that the impact of tariffs is visible in the high spending on electronics and appliances due to higher prices. A small increase at restaurants may indicate some early signs of pullback as consumers have to spend more at the pump, she said.

“Overall, the American consumer is still healthy,” she added. "Extra income from tax refunds is helping many households weather this oil shock, but that extra money won’t last forever.”

The Iran war began Feb. 28 and has shut down the Strait of Hormuz, cutting off one-fifth of the world’s oil supply.

Late last month, U.S. gas prices jumped past an average of $4 a gallon for the first time since 2022.

Economists had believed that an unusually large jump in tax refunds would kick start spending at the start of the year. But spiking gas prices are taking a bite out of that money. And the Iran war is also further dampening shoppers' mood. Consumer sentiment plunged to a record low in April, according to a survey released earlier this month by the University of Michigan, largely because of the Iran war and concerns over higher gas prices.

Shoppers aren’t just feeling it at the gas pump, but are also starting to see unforeseen costs everywhere, including when they travel such as higher baggage fees. They will also likely see higher prices on different products ripple through the supply chain as companies start to pass on higher transportation costs to shoppers, analysts said.

The jump in gas prices caused a sharp spike in inflation last month, creating major challenges for the inflation-fighters at the Federal Reserve and increasing already significant political hurdles for the White House.

Consumer prices rose 3.3% in March from a year earlier. On a monthly basis, prices rose 0.9% in March from February, the largest such gain in nearly four years.

Heading into the war, shoppers were already cautious. But Bryan Eshelman, Americas leader of retail and a partner and managing director at consultancy AlixPartners, noted his retail clients see their customers pulling back even more now.

“Particularly in the low-end economy, people are shifting from wants to needs,” he said.

R.J. Hottovy, head of analytical research at Placer.ai, noted that for seven straight weeks, traffic at nondiscretionary retailers like grocers outpaced that of discretionary merchants. That trend was reversed the week of April 6, helped by the distribution of tax refunds and spending tied to spring break and Easter.

But after the data goes past Easter trends, future visits will largely depend on consumer sentiment regarding broader macroeconomic conditions and gas prices, Hottovy said. The firm tracks people’s movements based on cellphone usage.

FILE - Shoppers move amid items for outdoor cooking on display in a Costco warehouse Thursday, March 12, 2026, in east Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

FILE - A woman carries reuable shopping bags to her car on Monday, March 16, 2026, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)