2 weeks Ago By Amy Yee
For Shawn Johnson, founder of Crafian Artisan Toffee, April is a test of consumer sentiment during a tumultuous time of government layoffs, sweeping tariffs and uncertainty. How Crafian’s decadent toffee sells at Chicago artisan markets this month will be telling for Johnson. Sales will give some indication of “what people are thinking, feeling and saying about nonessential indulgence items,” Johnson said.
“I’m willing to bet uncertainty is very much a factor.” She is gearing up for the One of a Kind Show, an artisan market at the Merchandise Mart held April 25-27 that is a major event for fledgling Crafian, which launched in March 2022. “The optimistic view is that people continue to buy chocolate even in recessions.
It satiates that emotional need. All is not lost,” Johnson said. “But there could be a need for adjustments that I’ll better understand after this run.
” Crafian Artisan Toffee founder Shawn Johnson breaks apart and a fresh batch of toffee. Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times Crafian’s costs have risen, especially for chocolate, but so far, Johnson hasn’t raised prices. Gourmet toffee is a “nice-to-have item.
It’s tough for me to raise prices,” she said. A bag of Crafian’s butter toffee in dark chocolate costs $19.99 online while coconut and cashew toffee sells for $24.
99. Crafian’s toffee is handmade at The Hatchery, a food business incubator in East Garfield Park, and sold online and at artisan markets and small shops. Like Johnson, many business owners are assessing the impact of economic turmoil in the U.
S. Consumer sentiment plunged in April, falling for the fourth consecutive month. The University of Michigan’s closely watched consumer sentiment index released last week fell 11% on a monthly basis to 50.
8, the lowest since the COVID-19 pandemic. The share of respondents expecting unemployment to rise increased for the fifth straight month and is now the highest since 2009 during the Great Recession. Consumer sentiment is not always a reliable indicator of the overall economy and spending habits are mixed.
But federal restructuring under President Donald Trump has sparked mass layoffs. Soaring on-off tariffs have created volatility in financial markets. Trump’s immigration policies also add to labor uncertainty.
Yet for Easter weekend, consumers are expected to spend $23.6 billion, compared to $22.4 billion in 2024, according to a survey released last week by the National Retail Federation.
Candy and food were the two most popular Easter purchasing categories. “As we witnessed throughout the pandemic, holidays such as Easter are especially meaningful for Americans during times of uncertainty,” said Katherine Cullen, NRF vice president. Johnson found that during her busy fourth quarter holiday season, customers did not hold back on buying Crafian’s toffee.
“They were indulging a lot more,” she said. And while candy is a nonessential purchase, it’s an affordable treat compared to big ticket items like luxury goods or vacations. Meanwhile, Johnson and other business owners are coping with high inflation, as well as other pressures.
Chocolate makers are struggling with record-high prices of cocoa beans on commodities markets. Heat and poor weather are affecting crops in West Africa where most cocoa beans are produced. Crafian’s chocolate costs have risen nearly 25% since last fall.
Johnson was shocked to pay $52 per 2.5 kilograms of chocolate this month, compared to $39 last November. She is also concerned about costs for her packaging, which comes from China.
Trump last week ordered tariffs of up to 145% on some goods from China. Johnson ordered 4,000 bags for her toffee in January. She has enough for now but expects to order more in July.
It’s unclear what tariffs will look like then since Trump’s policies can change day by day. But if high tariffs persist and packaging costs more than double, “I can’t do that,” Johnson said. Shawn Johnson, founder of Crafian Artisan Toffee Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times Even before tariffs escalated, she was looking for U.
S. packaging suppliers to minimize working across time zones and long lead times for orders. But the laser-printed bags Johnson needs for her upscale toffee are hard to find in the U.
S. Johnson said at least there’s been one win: Butter costs are stable because Crafian sources from a Wisconsin farm. She noted that customers are increasingly interested in 4-ounce packages priced at $15 rather than the 8-ounce size for $19.
99. The smaller size is normally only 25% of her production, but she is increasing to 60% this year in response to demand. At the Chicago Artisan Market in Ravenswood earlier this month, Crafian’s 4-ounce bags were popular.
Johnson also noticed that customers thought more about purchases. Many sampled toffee, walked away and returned later to buy. That’s not so surprising considering the addictiveness of Johnson’s rich toffee.
And it’s a fitting effect for Crafian — which means to crave in Old English — when people may want sweetness in tumultuous times. Contributing: AP.
