Grab your NECCO wafers while you still can -- here’s what’s happening
When we get nostalgic about candy, we can’t help but think NECCO, makers of (among others) candy buttons, those adorable Valentine’s Day conversation hearts, Sky Bars, Clark Bars and, of course, the original NECCO Candy Wafer. These candy discs may not be our first pick when we traverse the candy aisle, but they’re a classic we love to see. Recently, though, NECCO has been in some financial trouble, meaning that those pastel candies might not be around for long.
The future of NECCO is in flux
If you’re a lover of these vintage candies, you might want to grab a few rolls while you can. (Psst:You can get NECCO wafers and all these amazing kitchen items at Joann!) NECCO has been having financial trouble as of late and is in danger of shutting down unless a buyer can be found to save it.
But there’s a twist
With the future of the company in limbo, NECCO devotees are stocking up on their favorites. People have been rushing around to purchase all the NECCO candy they can get their hands on; especially the wafers. Candystore.com reports that sales of NECCO candy are up 82%—and the wafer sales alone up 150%! Social media caught on with the hashtag #SaveNECCO. And in a true 21st-century hero’s tale, it looks as if NECCO has found its white knight in the form of former CEO Al Gulachenski.
RELATE: The most popular Halloween candy in every state:
Candystore.com and Gulachenski jointly announced, “We’re going to #SaveNECCO!” More specifically, Gulachenski will attempt to buy NECCO. His intention is to keep as many of the current employees as possible, and to bring back the executive team that worked with him last time to make the company successful. To accomplish the company-saving sale, Gulachenski has said he needs a total of $30 million, and he plans to raise somewhere around $20 million of that using crowdfunding via GoFundMe.
Hoping to preserve history
For the sake of this historic company, we hope Gulachenski’s efforts pay off. After all, NECCO has been around for a long time. The company was founded all the way back in 1847 by Oliver Chase under the New England Confectionary Company monicker (or NECCO for short). At the time, the candies were less of a treat and more of a necessity. Soldiers in both World Wars kept up their energy with stashes of NECCO wafers, as did Arctic explorers, according to candystore.com. Who knew this classic had such a long history? (These other classic brands have stood the test of time, too.)
Only time will tell if the #SaveNECCO campaign will save this iconic company. In the meantime, grab a few rolls of wafers and enjoy!
