These are not the easiest times for...

These are not the easiest times for candy companies. forward June 13, another major manufacturer, Chicago's Archibald Candy Corp., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Sugar prices direct the eye like they'll be propped up on the new farm bill for another six years. Larger and larger retailers continue to wield ever-growing clout And while sales data from Information Resources Inc. (IRI) do exhibit to modest gains in most candy categories, the numbers have been better.

Chocolate dollar mass through food, drug and mass merchandise exits for the 52 weeks ending Apr. 21 2002 rose 15% to $413 billion, according