Fanny Farmer
{{Short description|American candy manufacturer and retailer}}
{{about|the retailer|the culinarian|Fannie Farmer}}
Fanny Farmer was an American candy manufacturer and retailer.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AoWlCmNDA3QC&q=fanny+farmer+candy+book&pg=PA213 |title=The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink |editor-first1=Andrew F. |editor-last1=Smith |page=213 |first=Renee |last=Marton |work=Oxford Companions |location= Oxford/New York |type=Hardcover |publisher=Oxford University Press |edition=1st |date=May 1, 2007 |isbn=978-0195307962 |access-date=August 4, 2014}}
Fanny Farmer was started in Rochester, New York, by Canadian politician and businessman Frank O'Connor in 1919, and grew to over 400 stores before being bought and consolidated.{{cite news |url=http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2014/04/18/whatever-happened-fanny-farmer-candy/7882367/ |title=Whatever Happened To ... Fanny Farmer Candy? |first1=Alan |last1=Morrell |date=April 19, 2014 |newspaper=Democrat & Chronicle |publisher=Gannett |location=Rochester, New York |access-date=August 1, 2014}}
History
=20th century=
O'Connor had previously started the Laura Secord Candy Shops in Toronto, Ontario, in 1913. The company was named "Fanny Farmer" to exploit the exemplary reputation of one of America's foremost culinary experts, Fannie Farmer, who had died four years earlier; the company did not use her recipes, and she had nothing to do with the candy stores. The spelling of the first name was altered simply to "avoid confusion".
Fanny Farmer stores shared a look that was similar to that of Chicago candy maker Fannie May.{{when|reason=When did they look similar, before or after the Archibald acquisition in 1992?|date=January 2023}}{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yekGvpKoLWwC&q=Fanny+farmer+candy+history&pg=PA115 |title=Chicago's Sweet Candy History
|first1=Leslie |last1=Goddard |work=Images of America |type=Paperback |page=115 |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |date=August 27, 2012 |isbn=978-0738593821
|location=Charleston, S.C |access-date=August 4, 2014}}Compare, {{cite web |first1=Marci |last1=Matson |url=http://www.edinahistoricalsociety.org/blog/photo-friday-fanny-farmer-50th-and-france-1959 |orig-year= May 23, 1959 |type=photo |title= Photo Friday: Fanny Farmer, 50th and France |date=October 21, 2011 |publisher= Edina County Historical Society |access-date= August 4, 2014}}
John D. Hayes was president of the company for many years, from its earliest years through the 1950s. He was a shrewd businessman, and guided the company through some difficult times. During the Depression, candy sales were dropping until he slashed retail prices, and kept the company in business. During World War II, he self-imposed rationing on company stores in the US, to ensure adequate supplies of candy for the armed forces overseas. He was named 1955 "Candy Man of the Year" by the candy industry. He was also blind.{{Cite web|url=http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2014/04/18/whatever-happened-fanny-farmer-candy/7882367/|title=Whatever Happened To ... Fanny Farmer Candy?|first=Alan|last=Morrell|website=USA TODAY}}
In 1962, a proxy fight allowed a group of stock market investors from New York City & New England, without experience in the candy industry, to gain control of the Fanny Farmer company.{{Cite web |last=Morrell |first=Alan |title=Fanny Farmer got its start in Rochester in 1919. What happened to the candy giant? |url=https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/lifestyle/2022/03/28/fanny-farmer-candy-shops-put-rochester-ny-confectionery-map/7164895001/ |access-date=2024-09-13 |website=Democrat and Chronicle |language=en-US}} They pushed for continuous expansion of the company, spending heavily to open more retail stores, despite facing increasing retail competition. This rapid expansion financially stressed the company.
In 1992, the Archibald Candy Company acquired Fanny Farmer{{cite web |url=http://www.thegavel.net/fanfarm.html |title=Fanny Farmer: The Sweet Collectibles |first1=Leon |last1=Poirier |first2=Rose |last2=Poirier |access-date=August 3, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130527193613/http://www.thegavel.net/fanfarm.html |archive-date=May 27, 2013 |url-status=dead }} and its 200 retail stores in the Northeastern United States as a sister brand to its own Fannie May candies sold primarily in the Midwest and mid-Atlantic United States.{{cite news |url= https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE4DE1E3FF936A3575BC0A964958260 |title= Fanny Farmer Parent Will Sell the Candy-Store Chain |newspaper= The New York Times |date= August 5, 1992 |access-date= August 1, 2014}}
=21st century=
An errant path of merger and acquisitions, whereby Archibald became the largest chain of candy retailers in the country but without adequate financing and a viable corporate strategy, resulted in two bankruptcies, in 2002 and 2004.{{Cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2002-06-13-0206130204-story.html|title=Fannie May parent files Chapter 11|date=June 13, 2002|access-date=June 4, 2023|website=Chicago Tribune|language=en}}{{cite news |url= https://www.chicagotribune.com/2004/02/26/series-of-mistakes-doomed-candymaker/ |newspaper= Chicago Tribune |publisher= Articles.chicagotribune.com/ |date= February 26, 2004 |title= Series of mistakes doomed candymaker: Some blame owner, strategy, but other causes listed too |first1=John |last1= Schmeltzer |access-date= August 3, 2014}}
In 2004, Alpine Confections purchased Archibald out of receivership, merged Fanny Farmer into Fannie May, and moved production to its own Green, Ohio-based Harry London Candies, which had been acquired a year earlier. Fannie Mae was reopened in October 2004{{cite web|url=http://www.gourmetretailer.com/top-story-alpine_confections_awarded_fannie_may_and_fanny_farmer_brands-4840.html|title=Alpine Confections Awarded Fannie May and Fanny Farmer Brands|date=|publisher=Gourmetretailer.com|accessdate=2013-04-22}} with 45 retail outlets.
In April 2006, Fannie May was sold for $85 million plus an earnout to publicly traded Internet retailer 1-800-Flowers.com.{{cite web|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/paragon-capital-partners-completes-sale-of-fannie-may-confections-brands-inc-to-1-800-flowerscom-55880692.html|title=Paragon Capital Partners Completes Sale of Fannie May Confections Brands, Inc. to... - re> NEW YORK, May 2 /PRNewswire/|date=|publisher=Prnewswire.com|location=New York|accessdate=2012-03-07}} The chocolates and candy continued to be manufactured in Ohio under the name Fannie May Confections Brands Inc, while the Fanny May corporate headquarters remained in Chicago.
In March 2017, Fannie May and Harry London were sold by 1-800-Flowers to Ferrero SpA for $115 million.{{Cite web |last=Ferrero |first=Razorfish for |title=FERRERO INTERNATIONAL S.A. HAS ACQUIRED U.S. CHOCOLATE CONFECTIONERY MANUFACTURER FANNIE MAY |url=http://www.ferrero.com/group-news/FERRERO-INTERNATIONAL-SA-HAS-ACQUIRED-US-CHOCOLATE-CONFECTIONERY-MANUFACTURER-FANNIE-MAY |access-date=2022-07-06 |website=www.ferrero.com |language=EN}}
References
{{Reflist}}
Further reading
- {{cite book |title=Candy: The Sweet History |first1=Beth |last1=Kimmerle |publisher=Collectors Press, Incorporated |pages=176 |type=Hardcover |edition=1st American |date=September 2003 |location=Portland, Oregon |isbn=1888054832 }}
External links
- {{cite web |first1=Marci |last1=Matson |url=http://www.edinahistoricalsociety.org/blog/photo-friday-fanny-farmer-50th-and-france-1959 |date=May 23, 1959 |type=photo |title=Photo Friday: Fanny Farmer, 50th and France |publication-date=October 21, 2011 |publisher=Edina County Historical Society |access-date=August 4, 2014}}
Category:Companies based in Rochester, New York
Category:Economy of the Northeastern United States
Category:Confectionery companies of the United States
Category:Food and drink companies established in 1919
Category:Retail companies established in 1919
Category:Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2002
Category:Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2004