OH REALLY
Hershey says it won't be able to meetHalloween demand this year.
Hershey CEO MicheleBuck said, "We will not be able to fully meet consumer demand..."
Consumers are demanding more regular and Halloween-themed candythan Hershey can make, at least right now.
Many consumergoods manufacturers have been struggling to meet surging demand for theirproducts during the pandemic, especially with the ongoing supply chain issues.
Demand forsweets surged during the pandemic and has remained high. Hershey has seen its salesspike but it has also had to make some production sacrifices.
The chocolatemaker uses the same manufacturing lines for its regular and seasonal products.That means it can't amp up production of both regular sweets and Halloween orholiday items. Instead, it has to do one or the other.
That likelymeans ceding ground to competitors such as Mars Wrigley, which makes M&Ms,Snickers, Skittles and other candies, and Brach's, during the busy Halloweenseason. Hershey is adding more manufacturing lines and hoping that it will beable to meet demand in the next couple of years.