Visions of sugar plums have turned into visions of snarled supply chains for some Canadian candy companies this holiday season.
Suppliers of chocolate and other festive treats say they arenB次元官网网址檛 immune from the logistics and transportation issues that have plagued large segments of the Canadian economy in 2021. Candy makers have been having trouble sourcing everything from sugar and cocoa to packaging supplies such as plastic and cardboard.
B次元官网网址淭he last six months or so, supply chain issues for the candy business have really gotten serious,B次元官网网址� said Shaun Pilfold, owner of Ontario-based online candy store Candy Crave. B次元官网网址淲e used to get freaked out if we had 15 products out of stock, now weB次元官网网址檙e at 50 or 60 out of stock.B次元官网网址�
The most affected items are the holiday classics, such as candy canes. Pilfold says suppliers seem to be focusing on filling orders from large retailers, meaning many smaller businesses have no candy canes at all.
B次元官网网址淲e ended up doing something weB次元官网网址檝e never done before, which is to go to a big box store to buy some candy canes just so we had a few to put in our gift boxes,B次元官网网址� Pilfold said.
Candy Crave also ran into trouble sourcing old-fashioned, hard Christmas candy.
B次元官网网址淲e went in November to a couple of our usual suppliers, early, and we couldnB次元官网网址檛 get any,B次元官网网址� Pilfold said. B次元官网网址淲e ended up having to go to the U.S. and pay about 40 per cent more to get about 300 to 400 pounds of Christmas candy, which weB次元官网网址檝e sold out of completely.B次元官网网址�
Sweet toothed Canadians can take heart that there is no overall B次元官网网址渟hortageB次元官网网址� of candy this holiday season, though there are certainly supply chain issues affecting the shipments and sale of certain types and varieties, said Sylvain Charlebois, director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University.
Everything from the flooding in B.C. B次元官网网址� which closed highways and affected inbound product from the Port of Vancouver B次元官网网址� to ongoing labour shortages at factories, mills and processing plants across North America is playing a role.
B次元官网网址淪ourcing ingredients is an issue, and then thatB次元官网网址檚 if you actually have anyone around to manufacture the foods youB次元官网网址檙e making,B次元官网网址� Charlebois said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 been difficult for food manufacturers to keep enough people around to do the work.B次元官网网址�
At Master Chocolat in Calgary, owner and chocolate-maker Bernard Callebaut said his shelves are well-stocked this year, but he acknowledged itB次元官网网址檚 been a challenge to keep them that way.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 been two things B次元官网网址� the ingredient supply and the packaging supply,B次元官网网址� Callebaut said. B次元官网网址淰ery simple things like fondant sugar, which is normally very common. It was really a challenge to get that. Ultimately, we found some by phoning around like crazy and paying too much.B次元官网网址�
Master Chocolat sources bulk chocolate from Belgium, and Callebaut said bringing in a shipping container from Antwerp this fall cost him twice as much as it usually does.
But he said heB次元官网网址檚 thankful he ordered well in advance and received enough that he is still filling orders, three days before Christmas.
B次元官网网址淚t is challenging, but if you have a creative hat on, you can find solutions,B次元官网网址� Callebaut said. B次元官网网址淵ou might have more grey hairs by the 24th of December, but we were able to make it happen.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址擜manda Stephenson, The Canadian Press
