141-year-old candy store chain closes all retail locations

The candy retail manufacture has suffered from a operation of economical issues this year, including fallout from higher cocoa prices, rising labour costs, and consumers cutting backmost connected spending connected non-essential items.

Inflation and rising involvement rates accrued the outgo of doing concern and prompted consumers to tighten their belts connected spending.

Cocoa prices besides deed a precocious successful the 4th fourth of 2025 and stay elevated, according to Tracey Allen, an cultivation commodities strategist astatine J.P. Morgan.

"The hangover from past year’s fourth-quarter highs successful cocoa prices has travel to roost…This reflects a historical summation successful the outgo of doing concern and a diminution successful cocoa legume availability, which has weakened concern request successful an situation wherever outgo pass-through is often constricted by supermarkets and retailers,” Allen said.

Financial issues person led candy companies to see whether to stay successful business, with definite companies deciding to adjacent operations.

Lammes Candies closes each stores

Iconic candy store concatenation Lammes Candies is closing each of its locations owed to changing marketplace conditions and semipermanent sustainability issues aft operating for 141 years, the chain's owners said successful a announcement posted astatine its Round Rock, Texas, store.

The Austin, Texas-based, family-run candy manufacturer, which established its concern successful 1885, announced the closing of its Round Rock determination connected April 24 successful the posted notice, My San Antonio reported.

The connection besides said Lammes Candies would adjacent its past remaining determination astatine 5330 Airport Blvd. successful Austin, which includes the company's manufacturing facility. The institution had not determined the closing day for the Austin store, according to co-owner Lana Schmidt.

Candy store concatenation had 7 locations

Six years ago, Lammes Candies operated 7 locations successful the Texas Hill Country, according to its website.

Lammes Candies primitively sold crystal pick and gem, a frozen effect dessert made from full milk, until sweetener rationing during World War II led to a phase-out of crystal pick and gem.

After the war, crystal pick and gem were sold again, but their popularity faded, and successful 1965 the Lammes discontinued the products and, instead, began focusing connected candies, according to its website.

‘Texas Chewy' was its apical candy

Lammes Candies is champion known for its Texas Chewy Pecan Pralines, which debuted successful the candy store successful 1892. The "Texas Chewy" is the company's top-selling product, producing 2,000 pounds of the candies each day, according to the website.

In summation to its Texas Chewy Pecan Pralines, Lammes produces Longhorns, consisting of pecans, caramel, and chocolate; Choco'Adillos, with caramel, almonds, and chocolate; Cashew Critters, with caramel, cashews, and chocolate; and a assortment of different candies.