Cocoa prices just hit a wall after an explosive run last year. We're looking at what could be the worst annual performance in memory. Yet here's the kicker—don't expect chocolate bars, holiday treats, or premium candies to get any cheaper anytime soon.

This disconnect between raw commodity costs and retail prices is classic market behavior. Producers locked in higher costs during the peak rally, factories built margins on premium input costs, and retailers? They've already adjusted shelf prices upward. Even as cocoa futures tank, all those supply chain links take forever to adjust backward.

It's a tale as old as markets themselves. Price spikes travel fast downstream to consumers. Price crashes? They crawl back like molasses. Worth watching if you're thinking about inflation trends and how consumer goods actually get priced in the real economy.