While America celebrates its 250th birthday, many legacy businesses and brands are winding down operations in light of increasing costs and the changing American shopping basket. As I summarized in an earlier piece on waning demand for beverages, global economic, market and political dynamics are beginning to disrupt Main Street businesses, particularly hometown food brands.

The Changing Economics For Food Brands

As recently reported in several news outlets, Lammes Candies, a chain of candy stores serving Texans since 1885 announced it will be closing its doors. It may be challenging to imagine how a candy company faces “unprecedented economic pressures," but several dynamics are at play that challenge established brands. Although high profile global disruptions are likely one culprit, there are several dynamics challenging rural business owners, including persistent changes in food and beverage markets.

High fuel and transportation costs are top of mind currently, compounded by shortages in labor and shipping containers, all of which increase food costs. Particularly for companies that rely on global supplies for their key ingredients (chocolate, coffee, some produce), their costs of production will continue to see increased pressure.

Food price inflation is hovering around 3% in early 2026, but that rate changes greatly depending on the type of food. Egg and dairy prices are actually declining, but demand for some........

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