I know times are tough, but how could anyone possibly scale back on buying chocolate — that escape-from-the-world, make-every-problem-better yummy goodness?

Apparently cash-strapped consumers are doing just that. Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory sales slipped 7.8% in the most recent quarter, compared to last year. An executive said chocolate was once recession proof, but no more.

Hershey’s closed its Oakdale, Calif., plant last year, laying off nearly 600 workers.

Of course, many of these companies’ struggles are due to the high cost of cocoa. This story says that like crude oil, speculators are driving up the cost of it.

I don’t care. I’ll keep eating it. I wonder if times get bad enough if they’ll be enough stressed-out, chocolate-craving people to cause a turnaround in the industry?