Everyone has candy from their childhood that they probably haven’t seen in a few years. For me, it’s not a very personal favorite, but the coffee nips remind me of my grandparents’ house, because my grandmother always kept a stockpile of them.
That’s not a product you see on store shelves very often, but they’re still made. When I see them, I usually take a picture and share it on social media or a family group text.
“Candy is childhood, the best and brightest moments you wish could last forever,” wrote candy bar creator Dylan Lauren in his book “Dylan’s Candy Bar: Unwrapping Your Sweet Life.”
Most people associate candies with childhood, and the Primrose Candy Company produces many candies that evoke nostalgic memories. The 98-year-old company may not be as well known as Hershey’s or M&M Mars, but its hard candies, taffy and flavored popcorn have been sold nationally for decades.
Now, the company has been forced to file Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Founded in 1928, Primrose Candy Co. has been producing hard candies, taffy and flavored popcorn for nearly a century. It operates a factory in Chicago and has outsourced some business to factories in China.
Like many small American candy manufacturers, it has faced constant pressure from high domestic sugar costs and competition from low-cost imports, leading to consolidation or relocation of production.
“Primrose Candy Co., a Chicago-based manufacturer of nonchocolate confectionery products, filed for Chapter 11 protection on January 27, 2026 in the Northern District of Illinois. The company is seeking to restructure its financial obligations while maintaining its manufacturing presence in the Midwest,” X wrote in an earlier post on Twitter.
Primrose Candy Co. The Chapter 11 filing for was confirmed on PacerMonitor and reported by Bondoro, detailing estimated assets between $1 million and $10 million and liabilities of $10 million to $50 million.
“Through 2026, the company continues to operate a 130,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Chicago, although it recently faced significant headwinds, including the loss of two large contracts for lemon drop production worth nearly $1 million annually,” according to an RK Consulting post.
The company blamed those losses on “low-cost foreign competition.”
“Additionally, the company settled liabilities related to the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) with a $125,000 biometric privacy settlement that reached a fair hearing in July 2025,” it added.
Primrose has been operating for almost 100 years.Shutterstock” loading=”lazy” height=”540″ width=”960″ class=”yf-lglytj loader”/>
Primrose has been operating for almost 100 years.Shutterstock ·Shutterstock
Carmen Ortiz filed a class action lawsuit alleging that the Primrose Candy Company collected the fingerprints of her employees without disclosing and obtaining the written consent required by the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act.
The company denied the allegations and continued. There has been an agreement on the case.
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“Without admitting any fault or liability, and in lieu of a release of all claims related to the collection of biometric information, Defendant has agreed to pay up to $125,000.00 (available to pay settlement class members, service awards to Plaintiff for serving as ‘class representative’, class representative and Fepencell to serve as ‘class representative’. and to pay settlement administration costs,” according to the website dedicated to the settlement).
After deducting expenses, the net amount each settlement class member will receive is estimated to be $803.
Here is a snapshot of Primrose Candy’s financial status and bankruptcy filing, as reported by official sources. The filings highlight how the beloved company for old candies, including many hard candies, is navigating financial pressures while trying to maintain its decades-long legacy.
Filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection In the US Bankruptcy Court for Northern District of Illinois in January 27, 2026.
The company a Chicago-based manufacturer of hard candy, caramel, and popcorn confections With operations dating back to 1928.
Estimated Assets: in between $1 million and $10 million
Estimated Liabilities: in between $10 million and $50 million
Lender’s Expectations: Filing Notes Funds available for distribution to unsecured creditorsThis stage indicates that the case is not a no-assets or liquidation-only scenario.
Advice: David K. of Welch Burke, Warren, McKay and Cerritella, PC
Status: This Chapter 11 filing places the company in A Court-supervised reorganization process Intended to restructure debt while potentially allowing operations to continue rather than immediate liquidation. Source: Bondoro
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Sugar prices and foreign competition have presented challenges for lesser-known American candy brands. Hershey and M&M Mars face similar problems, but their scale and brand names give them an edge over smaller rivals.
According to data analyzed by the Sweetener Users Association based on USDA data, In 2023, US sugar prices were about 105% higher than global sugar prices – Means were US prices More than double world price.
“Not only am I competing with places like Europe with unfair trade laws, but I’m now forced to buy ingredients that sometimes cost twice as much,” Tess Albanese of Albanese Confectionery Group Inc. told Manufacturing.net.
“Open my arms behind me and let me fight well […] We need to level the playing field so my family can go there and we can create jobs, and win nationally and internationally.”
The price of sugar has been a constant problem for the industry.
“We just found out that it’s better to pay more for sugar and send it to the consumer than to be out of sugar altogether,” Kirk Vasha, CEO of Spangler Candy Co., maker of Dum Dums lollipops, told Cato.org. “And there are a lot of other companies that I think are thinking the same thing.”
The price of sugar has forced some American candy makers to relocate their operations.
“These are not isolated examples. In recent decades, many companies have packed up in Mexico and Canada to get this important ingredient at competitive prices. The president of one such firm said, ‘I’m tired of paying welfare to big sugar,'” shared Cato.org.
RELATED: 106-year-old retailer closing all stores in Chapter 11 bankruptcy
This story was originally published by TheStreet on January 31, 2026, where it first appeared in the Retail section. Add TheStreet as a preferred source by clicking here.
