Sweden Is Experiencing a National Crisis Due to Shortages of Its Most Cherished Treat: Candy

Recently, Sweden took steps to end an old tradition: cousin marriages. However, there’s one thing that remains unchanged. Every Saturday, it’s common to see groups of families and young people leaving stores and shopping malls with bags filled with sweets and candies to indulge in as if there were no tomorrow. Yes, in Sweden, Saturdays are dedicated to bingeing on sugar. Unfortunately, however, the country is literally running out of candy.

Candy at stake. Sweden is well-known for its love of sweets, to the point where they nearly seem like a religious practice. That’s why the current situation is particularly perplexing. The nation is facing an unprecedented crisis: a candy shortage triggered by a viral trend on TikTok. The trend has sparked global demand, especially in the U.S. and South Korea, but also in other Scandinavian countries.

The TikTok phenomenon is now threatening to undermine one of Sweden’s most cherished traditions: lördagsgodis, or “Saturday candy.”

Saturday candy. The tradition of lördagsgodis was introduced in the 1950s by Swedish authorities to combat tooth decay. The practice is straightforward: Enjoy sweets, but only once a week, preferably on Saturdays. This concept embodies the spirit of lagom (“just the right amount”), a national philosophy that emphasizes balance and moderation, allowing enjoyment in the right measure.

To give you an idea of how significant this “sugar” tradition is, Swedish families consume, on average, more than 2 pounds of candy in a single night, solidifying this practice as an essential part of national identity.

“Sweden, we have a problem.” The Swedish candy craze appears to have started when American TikToker Marygrace Graves shared her experience at BonBon, a Swedish candy store in Brooklyn, New York City. Her video about the pick-n-mix concept went viral, garnering millions of views in a short time and popularizing terms like “candy salad.”

This led to long lines and unprecedented demand in various stores, quickly spreading from the U.S. to South Korea and then to neighboring countries of Sweden.

Impact on the Swedish industry. The candy phenomenon gained international attention during the summer when many factories closed for maintenance and worker vacations. This, coupled with unusually high global demand, complicated the nation’s supply. Companies like Bubs, one of the major candy producers, ran out of inventory after selling their entire summer production.

According to Niclas Arnelin, a director at Orkla, the manufacturer of the Bubs candy, the company had to reduce its product range to focus on producing its three most popular lines. The situation has escalated to the point where stores across Sweden are receiving rationed batches under a national priority policy, and consumers are asking friends abroad to bring candy back for them. For the first time in its history, the concept of lördagsgodis is at risk.

The Scandinavian diaspora. The candy tradition also applies to Swedes who decided to leave their homeland. For Scandinavian expatriates, lördagsgodis holds much more significance than just a routine. It serves as a connection to their roots, much like many other traditions cherished by those who have emigrated.

Jonas and Bronte Aurell, the owners of ScandiKitchen in London, established their store out of nostalgia for this tradition. “When you’re homesick, the idea of getting some sweets is obviously a big thing for us,” they told The Guardian.

A logistical and cultural challenge. Toward the end of the summer, a critical situation arose for the Swedish nation. The supply of candy was interrupted due to a six-week factory break mandated by law, which affected even the best-stocked stores.

Since then, at iconic establishments like ScandiKitchen, staff have struggled to maintain their beloved pick-and-mix section. Assistant manager Freja Haulrik told the British outlet, “It’s looking pretty good. Over the summer we had no delivery for six weeks. You’ve caught us on a good day. Although… there are two licorices next to each other. You have to space it out.”

A matter of balance. The unexpected surge in demand for Swedish candy has put the country’s capacity to meet the unusual global interest to the test, all while trying to preserve a cherished cultural tradition. Lördagsgodis isn’t merely a moment of indulgence. It embodies the Swedish philosophy of balance–enjoyment without excess. This concept seems to resonate with consumers worldwide, reflecting a popularity that transcends borders and encourages moderation in Saturday binge eating.

Image | Yes and Studio

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