Hershey Finally Responded To The Halloween Candy Shortage News
With 600 million pounds of candy being purchased by Americans for Halloween annually (via Gourmet Gift Baskets), candy companies definitely don't want to face any shortages this October. Halloween's candy sales are much higher than other holidays; Easter sees 65 million pounds of candy purchased, while Valentine's Day only garners 48 million pounds yearly. On average, each household spends about $25 on Halloween candy for trick-or-treaters to enjoy.
According to Forbes, the most popular Halloween candies include (in order): Reese's Cups, Skittles, M&M's, Starburst, Hot Tamales, Sour Patch Kids, Hershey's Kisses, Snickers, Tootsie Pops, and candy corn. Of these, two are made by Hershey's, per its official website. But just a few days ago, the news broke that the chocolate producer will experience a candy shortage this year for Halloween (via Business Insider). CEO Michelle Buck confirmed the unfortunate news, though as word spread, many people may have worried a bit more than they needed to after all.
While there will be a shortage, it's better than last year
Those who were worried after hearing the news that Hershey's won't be able to meet this year's demand for Halloween candy can rest assured. According to Today and a Hershey's spokesperson, the candy situation is very much in control. "We will have even more seasonal product available to the consumer this year than last year," the spokesperson tells Today. They added that candy production for Halloween begins in the spring, although the company makes the decision to focus more attention on everyday products at that time. "Moving forward, with higher inventory levels and more capacity, we believe we'll be well positioned to deliver for the consumer whether they're reaching for everyday or seasonal products," the spokesperson added.
The initial panic was well warranted, as just days ago Hershey's CEO Michelle Buck said on a conference call that, "[We] will not be able to fully meet consumer demand [for Halloween]" (via Bring Me The News). Buck added that there were certain areas where the company wasn't facing the same supply constraints. It likely won't be known until October whether the company can actually keep up with demand, but until then, it seems best not to worry.