PORTLAND, Maine — For almost two decades Dean's Sweets has been serving the locals and visitors of Portland, Maine, alongside the dozens of people who order online.

"My husband Dean and I started this business just about 18 years ago and we started it in our home kitchen," said Kristin Thalheimer Bingham, the co-owner of Dean's Sweets.

All these years later, they are facing the reality of inflation and many businesses like them are heading into a crucial season for business.

Bingham said about 50% of their revenue is made during the holiday season.

"The supply chain has gotten to be more of an issue recently," said Dean Bingham, the co-owner of Dean's Sweets.

"Especially in this last eight months, nine months, 2022 everything has just kind of shot up and skyrocketed," Thalheimer said. "We were taken a little bit unaware by even just a few months ago. To see that sugar has increased 10% to 15% last spring and then it increased again over the summer, same with chocolate."

That's along with other items like cocoa, butter, cardboard, packaging and shipping materials. It's all making them question if it's time to raise their prices.

"I think we're going to take another good look at it as we head into the holiday season," Thalheimer said.

They say it's not something they want to do.

Thalheimer worries a rise in prices could change that and cause people to skip purchasing that chocolate gift.

"I'm as aware as anybody else about inflation and I hate to be one of the contributors but on the other hand if all of my costs are going up I cannot afford to stay in business if I'm not recouping my costs and making a little money for myself," Dean said.

They've tried to ease the pain in other ways.

"For a long time I thought my mantra was, make more sell more and you sort of make up for the increase in price by volume but we're starting to realize that you can't do that," Dean said. "Volume has costs associated with it too because the more that you sell, the more you need to buy and the more help you need."

Buying that treat is attached to a sense of happiness they don't want to see disappear and a moment of magic they hope a rise in cost won't ruin.

"I've always felt that chocolate was one of those things that you may not buy a pound but you can buy one or two pieces and that's going to help you get through some of the stresses of the other difficult times," Dean said.

"We are always conscious of the fact that we want to be a place where people can come and get a little gift for somebody and find something nice for themselves so we want to keep it that way," said Thalheimer.

What is love? A lot of people want the answer ahead of Valentine's Day.

It's the top searched question related to the holiday, according to Google Trends.

Valentine's Day isn't just something in American culture. It's celebrated around the world. In fact, searches for Valentine's Day were highest in Nepal and India, according to Google Trends. The U.S. is third on the list, followed by Japan and the U.K.

The National Retail Federation found that the Americans plan to spend an average of $192 on Valentine's Day gifts.

The top gifts include greeting cards, flower and candy. Flowers appear to be the overwhelmingly popular choice across the country, according Google Trends.

Valentine's Day isn't just about having a significant other. The idea of "Galentine's Day" has picked up steam over the past few years. It's celebrated on Feb. 13 among female friends.

CINCINNATI — Aglamesis Bros. Ice Cream and Candy Company offers sweet treats all year round, but this time of year they offer chocolate bunnies and crosses as well as cream eggs to make anyone's Easter that much tastier.

"It's just the feel of the place," Nancy Gottschalk, who has been coming to the store since she was a teenager, said. "Aglamesis is an institution."

Some adults have memories from their childhood of Jim "Mr. A" Aglamesis in his signature white coat wrapping their Easter candy for them.

Randy Young, the current president of the business and stepson of Algamesis, said Aglamesis was still very active in the business well into his 90s.

However, this is the first Easter celebration for the shop since Aglamesis died.

RELATED: Aglamesis Ice Cream patriarch leaves legacy of integrity, sincerity

"He's still here," Young said. "Our traditions are kept alive and he's still here. He's still here; we all feel him. We know he's looking down, and watching over us, and making sure we're doing it right."

There is still time to stop in to the shop and pick up some Easter candy before Sunday. The store is open Saturday, but they are closed on Sunday.