America's favorite Valentine's Day candy is unavailable this year
- Sweethearts, the conversation heart candy, is missing from shelves this Valentine's season.
- Necco, the candy's original producer, went out of business last year.
- The candy's new owner, Spangler Candy Company, plans to have Sweethearts back on shelves next year.
America's favorite Valentine's Day candy won't be available this year.
Sweethearts, the conversation heart candy, is missing from shelves this Valentine's season after its original producer went out of business last year.
Even though consumers might think chocolate when it comes to buying a Valentine's gift for a loved one, Candystore.com reported that conversation hearts were the most popular candy for the holiday in 2018. The popularity of the candy didn't keep its original producer, New England Confectionary Company, also known as Necco, from going out of business in July.
Round Hill Investments bought Necco in an auction but sold its Necco wafer brand and Sweethearts to Spangler Candy Company several months later. Spangler's best-known candy is its Dum Dum lollipops.
The candy company acquired the brands in September and did not have the time to produce the conversation hearts for this Valentine's Day.
"There are a lot of manufacturing challenges and unanswered questions at this point, and we want to make sure these brands meet consumer expectations when they re-enter the market," Spangler Chairman and CEO Kirk Vashaw said in a statement announcing the acquisition.
The company is planning to relaunch Sweethearts in time for next year's Valentine's season. Necco wafers will be re-introduced sometime this year.
In response to a request for comment from CNBC, Spangler sent the following message: