LISTEN LIVE

Hershey Won’t Be Able To Meet Halloween Candy Demand

Folks looking to satisfy their sweet tooth this Halloween are going to get more tricks than treats, as Hershey won’t be able to meet the demand. “We will not be…

kid holding halloween candy bowl
Getty Images

Folks looking to satisfy their sweet tooth this Halloween are going to get more tricks than treats, as Hershey won't be able to meet the demand.

"We will not be able to fully meet consumer demand," Hershey CEO Michele Buck said Thursday (July 28). Per CNN, consumers are demanding more regular and Halloween-themed candy than Hershey can make at this time.

Demand for sweets surged during the pandemic and has remained high, as has the interest in Halloween. Hershey, which has reported double-digit sales growth in the quarter compared to last year won't be able to keep up with the upcoming Halloween demand. This is because the chocolate maker uses the same manufacturing lines for its regular and seasonal products, so they have to choose one or the other.

In addition to supply chain restrictions, the candy company has to source higher-priced dairy and scarce ingredients from other suppliers.

"We had a strategy of prioritizing everyday on-shelf availability," Buck said. "That was a choice that we needed to make. It was a tough decision."

Hershey is adding more manufacturing lines in the next few years, but that means that competitors like Mars Wrigley, who makes M&M's, Snickers and Skittles, will most likely take the lead this Halloween season.

Laila Abuelhawa is the Top 40 and Hip-Hop pop culture writer for Beasley Media Group. Being with the company for over three years, Laila's fierce and fabulous red-carpet rankings have earned her a feature on 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert!' Her favorite stories are those surrounding the latest in celebrity fashion, television and film rankings, and how the world reacts to major celebrity news. With a background in journalism, Laila's stories ensure accuracy and offer background information on stars that you wouldn't have otherwise known. She prides herself in covering stories that inform the public about what is currently happening and what is to come in the ever-changing, ever-evolving media landscape.