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 aren91裸聊视频檛 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.
91裸聊视频淭he last six months or so, supply chain issues for the candy business have really gotten serious,91裸聊视频� said Shaun Pilfold, owner of Ontario-based online candy store Candy Crave. 91裸聊视频淲e used to get freaked out if we had 15 products out of stock, now we91裸聊视频檙e at 50 or 60 out of stock.91裸聊视频�
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.
91裸聊视频淲e ended up doing something we91裸聊视频檝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,91裸聊视频� Pilfold said.
Candy Crave also ran into trouble sourcing old-fashioned, hard Christmas candy.
91裸聊视频淲e went in November to a couple of our usual suppliers, early, and we couldn91裸聊视频檛 get any,91裸聊视频� Pilfold said. 91裸聊视频淲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 we91裸聊视频檝e sold out of completely.91裸聊视频�
Sweet toothed Canadians can take heart that there is no overall 91裸聊视频渟hortage91裸聊视频� 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. 91裸聊视频� which closed highways and affected inbound product from the Port of Vancouver 91裸聊视频� to ongoing labour shortages at factories, mills and processing plants across North America is playing a role.
91裸聊视频淪ourcing ingredients is an issue, and then that91裸聊视频檚 if you actually have anyone around to manufacture the foods you91裸聊视频檙e making,91裸聊视频� Charlebois said. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 been difficult for food manufacturers to keep enough people around to do the work.91裸聊视频�
At Master Chocolat in Calgary, owner and chocolate-maker Bernard Callebaut said his shelves are well-stocked this year, but he acknowledged it91裸聊视频檚 been a challenge to keep them that way.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 been two things 91裸聊视频� the ingredient supply and the packaging supply,91裸聊视频� Callebaut said. 91裸聊视频淰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.91裸聊视频�
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 he91裸聊视频檚 thankful he ordered well in advance and received enough that he is still filling orders, three days before Christmas.
91裸聊视频淚t is challenging, but if you have a creative hat on, you can find solutions,91裸聊视频� Callebaut said. 91裸聊视频淵ou might have more grey hairs by the 24th of December, but we were able to make it happen.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频擜manda Stephenson, The Canadian Press
