Tagged with 'shipments'

At Stover & Company, the busy holiday season comes early!

From September through December, our order volumes are at their highest, which can create longer processing times than you may be used to. While our warehouse team usually exceeds your expectations by processing your orders within 1–2 business days, this time of year may require up to 4 full business days to carefully process & pack your order with care! 

Once your order has been picked, packed & passed to one of our shipping partners, you’ll receive a tracking number via email so you can follow your package as it makes its way to your door.

Please remember that all delivery dates & windows provided are estimated, once your package is with the carrier, transit times are out of our control.


Plan ahead: 
Shipping delays are common during the holiday season. We recommend leaving plenty of time when placing your order to avoid delays & product sellouts.


Need it ASAP?
Select Express Shipping at checkout for the quickest option:

• Express orders placed before 11:45am ET ship the same business day.

• Express orders placed after 11:45am ET ship the following business day.

                       

Please note our warehouse is closed on holidays & weekends. Order processing time begins the next business day. 

Now is the time to make your holiday ingredients list & check it twice, place your seasonal baking order today to beat the rush!!! 

Please note: shipping times provided at checkout are estimated. If you have not received tracking information after 4 business days, please contact customer service at 724.274.6314 or info@stovercompany.com for assistance. Please note that holidays & weekends are not considered to be business days. For more information please see our shipping page!  

We know how much YOU love our chocolate & melting wafers! Sometimes you love it so much that our inventory depletes faster than we can keep up with! While our production team works hard to keep up with demand & prevent sellouts, sometimes it can take us a little while to recover from times of high demand, especially during busy seasons.

Sellouts & Restocks:
If you’ve ever clicked on a product & seen that dreaded “Out of Stock” notice, here’s what to know:

As a local distributor, we service many regional bakeries (in the Pittsburgh & Cleveland areas) via weekly deliveries, so some items like frozen goods or specific packaging are only available for local delivery or customer pickup, which is why they are listed as out of stock online. That said, this usually doesn’t apply to our chocolate & compound coating items.

As for items that are truly out of stock, we always recommend signing up for a Restock Notification!

     

Important Update: RE: Merckens: Heads up! Cargill has shorted our upcoming Merckens order. What does that mean for you? A very limited restock is not expected until 2026. If you need melting wafers sooner, we recommend trying Sweet Shoppe wafers as an alternative, otherwise please sign up for a restock notification. 

Discontiued Products:
Our website team is currently working to remove discontinued items from our online catalog to make shopping easier for YOU! Over the next few weeks, if you can no longer find a product on our site, that likely means it has been discontinued. If that happens, please reach out to our customer service team for advice on finding a replacement item. We’re always happy to help you track down the next best thing! 

We’re Here to Help:
Questions about your order? Looking for alternate products? Our team is always happy to assist! Contact customer service at info@stovercompany.com or 724.274.6314 or check out our FAQ page! 

As summer winds down, it’s important to remember that warm temperatures still pose a risk for chocolate, caramel & coating products in transit. That’s why we always highly recommend adding our Protective Cold Packaging to your orders year round! 

Insulation & Ice Packs:

Our cold packaging add-on includes insulated panels & ice packs to help create a cooler environment during transit. While these added reinforcements helps provide the best chance for your order to arrive unmelted, it’s important to remember that cold packaging is not a guarantee* against melting. Once your package leaves our facility, it may be exposed to conditions beyond our control, such as high temperatures, carrier delays & extended transit times.

That’s why we offer cold packaging year round — to help protect sensitive products like chocolate, caramel & coatings from temperature swings in transit. If the ice packs arrive melted by the time your package arrives, rest assured knowing that they’ve already done their job by helping lower the internal temperature of your package during shipment!

*Please note: Stover & Company does not offer refunds or replacements for products that melt during shipping, with or without cold packaging. Please consider this carefully before placing your order.

How much do I need?

Our system automatically calculates the appropriate amount of cold packaging needed based on the total weight of chocolate & caramel products in your shopping cart, so there’s no guesswork required! 

Plan ahead for Delivery Days: 

Once your package leaves our facility, it may be exposed to extreme conditions we can’t control, including temperatures over 100°F in some shipping facilities. Please note, our cold packaging add-on is designed to handle temperatures between 80–90°F for up to 72 hours, but after that, the risk of melting increases significantly.

To help keep your order in the best condition possible:

• Select Express Shipping to reduce time in transit 
• Be ready to bring your package inside immediately
• Store it in a cool, temperature controlled environment
• Avoid leaving it outside or in direct sunlight

What If My Chocolate Melts in Transit?

The good news — melted compounds & chocolate are still perfectly usable! Even if your chocolate arrives soft, misshapen or fully melted, it hasn’t gone bad. Most compound products are not perishable, so a little heat doesn’t spoil them, it simply changes their form. While your order may arrive soft, stuck together, or misshapen, it’s still completely safe to use & will perform just as intended once remelted.

If your chocolate does melt in transit, here’s what we always recommend:

We’re Here to Help:

Questions about your order? Looking for bulk chocolate solutions? Our team is always happy to assist! Contact us at info@stovercompany.com or 724.274.6314.

*Please note: Stover & Company does not offer refunds or replacements for products that melt during shipping, with or without cold packaging. Please consider this carefully before placing your order.

Warm weather & sweet treats don’t always mix. As temperatures rise, so does the risk of melting during transit, especially for chocolate, caramel & coating products. That’s why we highly recommend* adding our Protective Cold Packaging to your summer orders!

Keep Your Chocolate Safe Even in the Heat

Our cold packaging add on includes insulated panels & ice packs to help create a cooler environment during transit. While it's important to remember that no solution is completely melt proof, this added layer of protection gives your order the best possible chance of arriving in top shape, even if the ice packs are melted by the time your package arrives.

We offer cold packaging year round & our system automatically calculates the appropriate amount based on your cart’s chocolate & caramel weight. No guesswork required!

Pro Tip: If your area regularly reaches 75°F or higher, we strongly recommend selecting cold packaging during checkout! 

Plan Ahead for Delivery Days

Once your package leaves our facility, it may be exposed to extreme conditions we can’t control, including heat over 100°F in some areas. Our packaging is designed to handle temperatures between 80–90°F for up to 72 hours, but after that, the risk of melting increases significantly.

To keep your order in the best condition possible:

• Select Express Shipping to reduce time in transit 

• Be ready to bring your package inside immediately

• Store it in a cool, temperature controlled environment

• Avoid leaving it outside or in direct sunlight

Please note: Stover & Company cannot be responsible for packages left unattended in hot conditions, or orders that melt in transit.

What If My Chocolate Melts in Transit?

Good news — melted compounds & chocolate are still perfectly usable! Even if your chocolate or compound arrives a little soft or fully melted, it hasn’t gone bad. Most compound products are not perishable, so a little heat won’t spoil them, it simply changes it's form. So while they may arrive soft, stuck together, or misshapen, they are still completely safe to use & will perform just as intended once remelted.

If your chocolate does melt in transit, here’s what we always recommend: Pour the melted chocolate onto a sheet of parchment paper, spread it out evenly, let it cool & set, then break it up into bark size pieces & store it like normal. Once it solidifies, you can use it just as you would any other chocolate — for melting, baking, dipping, or decorating.

A little melt doesn’t mean your order is ruined — just give it a little time to reset & you’ll be good to go!

*Please note we do not offer refunds or replacements for products that melt during shipping, with or without the cold packaging, so please consider this before placing your order.

PRO TIP: The best way to beat summer heat? Stock up early! Place your orders in the spring—before the temps begin to rise!

We’re Here to Help
Questions about your order? Looking for bulk chocolate solutions? Our team is always happy to assist: info@stovercompany.com  |   724.274.6314

The calendar may say September, but there’s no time like the present to start preparing for your holiday baking needs!  

The most wonderful time of the year will be here before you know it! Save yourself from holiday headaches by placing your Stover & Company orders in advance this season. Stock up on chocolate, caramel, candy colors & all of your favorite essential baking supplies to ensure you have everything you need to make the holiday magic come together.

As a family-owned business that prides itself on customer service, we want to be transparent with our customers.

Stover & Company offers a variety of ways to save our customers money on shipping.  We have partnered with UPS for our small parcel orders, but have partnerships with best in class LTL and FTL carriers to help support our volume customers and business partners.