Higher chocolate prices don’t stop Valentine’s Day shoppers

In January, we reported a possible chocolate shortage, due to drought conditions in the cocoa bean growing areas of the world.

This has prompted the price of chocolate to go up worldwide, but it didn’t stop Coloradans from getting out to buy Valentine’s Day favorite treat.

We visited two local chocolate shops today, Patsy’s Candy and the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and they tell us that business is great. Both places had a steady flow of customers coming and going while we were there.

Mazie Baalman of the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory says she knows why.

“I think they’ve gotta have chocolate. They love the chocolate dipped strawberries, that’s a staple for Valentines Day,” she said.

Shirley Short of Colorado Springs bought two boxes of gourmet chocolates at Patsy’s today.

“I’m buying chocolate for my mom, who is a candyholic and for some other dear friends of ours from church that love candy as well,” she told us.

If today’s activity is any indication, it’ll take a lot more than a equatorial drought to keep people from expressing their affection with the dark delicacy.

Don’t forget! Valentine’s Day is this Sunday and don’t worry. It looks like there’s still plenty of chocolate in stock.