3.Inventories

Inventories consisted of the following:

(in thousands)	October 2, 2016		January 3, 2016		September 27, 2015
Finished products	$	84,553	$	56,252	$	65,214
Manufacturing materials		14,358		12,277		8,658
Plastic shells, plastic pallets and other inventories		27,128		20,935		20,276
Total inventories	$	126,039	$	89,464	$	94,148

The growth in the inventory balance at October 2, 2016, as compared to January 3, 2016, and September 27, 2015, is primarily a result of inventory acquired through the acquisitions of the YTD 2016 Expansion Transactions and the 2015 Expansion Territories.