Hershey says it won’t be able to meet Halloween demand this year.

Hershey CEO Michele Buck said, “We will not be able to fully meet consumer demand…”

Consumers are demanding more regular and Halloween-themed candy than Hershey can make, at least right now.

Many consumer goods manufacturers have been struggling to meet surging demand for their products during the pandemic, especially with the ongoing supply chain issues.

Demand for sweets surged during the pandemic and has remained high. Hershey has seen its sales spike but it has also had to make some production sacrifices.

The chocolate maker uses the same manufacturing lines for its regular and seasonal products. That means it can’t amp up production of both regular sweets and Halloween or holiday items. Instead, it has to do one or the other.

That likely means ceding ground to competitors such as Mars Wrigley, which makes M&Ms, Snickers, Skittles and other candies, and Brach’s, during the busy Halloween season. Hershey is adding more manufacturing lines and hoping that it will be able to meet demand in the next couple of years.