So Long ­SweetHearts

       Valentine’s Day is estimated to generate more than $1.8 billion in candy sales. Most popular of those candies are conversation hearts, the little hearts with cute sayings on them: Be Mine, Marry Me. Even heart-shaped boxes of chocolates were overtaken by the little sugar hearts.

         Now SweetHearts, the most popular brand of the most popular Valentine’s candy, are no longer being made.

         The nation’s oldest continually operating candy company, the New England Confectionery Company, Necco for short, had been making SweetHearts since 1886. About eight billion of the little hearts were produced annually in the 11 months leading up to Valentine’s Day. All were sold within six weeks.

         Last July 24, the factory closed and workers were told not to show up to work the next day.

         By late September, the Spangler Candy Company became owner of the SweetHeart brand. But not in time to satisfy this year’s SweetHeart hunger.

         “We are looking forward to announcing the relaunch of SweetHearts for the 2020 Valentine’s Day season,” said Spangler CEO Kirk Vashaw. The postscript to his statement was spelled out in SweetHearts: Miss U 2 … Wait 4 Me … Back Soon.

–Clair Robins, candystore.com