By P.J. Huffstutter and Marcelo Teixeira
Reuters
CHICAGO - Orders have been pouring into Andrew Schuman's candy cane business this year, but business has been anything but sweet.
"We're not taking new orders from new customers," said Schuman, chief executive officer of Hammond's, based in Denver, Colorado. "We can't keep up with demand."
Candy makers, like retailers and farmers, have been slammed during the pandemic with high commodity prices, labor shortages, and transportation and supply chain snarls, preventing them from fully cashing in on the holiday season.
For more than a century, Hammond's Candies has twisted and packed up the classic Christmas treat for tiny gift shops and massive grocers alike. It is the largest wholesale supplier of U.S. handmade candy canes.