I checked for the candy beans at 7-Eleven, Walgreen’s, Giant, Safeway and even a candy specialty store at the mall. But it was not available.
Maybe it had been discontinued, I thought.
I checked online and it was still available from third-party vendors, so I ordered a box. (The candy arrived today and is delicious as I remember.)
I had trouble locating the candy on the Internet at first. A Google search for “sugar babies” turns up a full page of listings for sexy young women seeking rich men to dote on them. Sugar Babies candy is the seventh listing. (See screenshot below.)
It’s entirely possible that the public has lost its taste for Sugar Babies. It’s also possible that it got crowded off the candy shelves at grocery and convenience stores by candy from bigger companies like Mars, Hershey and Nestle.
Sugar Babies are made by Chicago-based Tootsie Roll Industries, which ranks No. 29 on the list of the world’s biggest candy companies, according to Candy Industry Magazine. (Mars is No. 1. Nestle is No. 4 and Hershey is No. 5.)
Tootsie Roll’s 2013 annual report discusses the competitive pressures it faces as a midsize candy company.
In a letter to shareholders, Melvin Gordon, chairman and chief executive officer, and Ellen Gordon, president and chief operating officer, said the company faces “intense competition in our industry.”
“Retailers are highly selective as to the products they carry, and consumers can choose from a broad array of appealing products,” they said. “The market is also fluid, as pack sizes, product presentations and assortments evolve to meet changing preferences in the trade and among consumers.”
I can only hope that consumers rediscover the incredible flavor of the candy-coated milk caramels known as Sugar Babies.
Related links:
Sugar Babies review on Candy Blog.
Sugar Babies (candy) entry on Wikipedia.
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