ðə kˈɑːɹmɪlkˌɔːɹn ʃˈɑːp bɪkˌeɪm ðə nˈʌmbɚ wˈʌn sˈeɪlzlˈiːdɚɹ ɪnðə nˈeɪʃən fɚðə mˈʌnθ ʌv dᵻsˈɛmbɚ nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi ˈeɪt sˈɛlɪŋ sˈɪkstiːn,tˈuːhˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti pˈaʊndz, ɔːɹ ɹˈʌfli ˈeɪt tˈʌnz, ʌv pˈɑːpkɔːɹn; ɪt wʌz ɛkspˈɛktᵻd ðˌɐɾɪt wʊd biː ðə nˈʌmbɚ wˈʌn tʃˈeɪn ɐɡˈɛn ɪn dᵻsˈɛmbɚ nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi nˈaɪn sˈɪns sˈeɪmstˈoːɹ ɹˈɛvənˌuːz hæd ɪŋkɹˈiːst θˈɜːɾi pɚsˈɛnt.
The Karmelkorn Shoppe became the number one sales-leader in the nation for the month of December 1988 selling 16,250 pounds, or roughly eight tons, of popcorn; it was expected that it would be the number one chain again in December 1989 since same-store revenues had increased 30%.