Edible Gifts

wrappers, and they sold out before the regular Hershey bars,” said Owner Alex Anderson . “People like the vintage candy because it’s harder to find, and it’s like a trip down memory lane. We carry some iconic candies like Regal Crown Sour Cherry and a few others.”

Bethea said they have tried carrying retro candy at Coker Hampton, but sales fell flat. “As odd as it sounds, the retro/vintage candy has not caught on in our area—it’s the basics. We’ve had some success with it around a seasonal period, but overall, the standards sell best. It’s incredibly hard to gauge a customer, but that’s what keeps it exciting,” she added.

As any child will agree, few things go better together than toys and candy. Donlon Pharmacy and Toy Jungle in Decorah, Iowa, has plenty of both. Susan Pederson , assistant retail manager at Donlon’s, said the pharmacy has been in business since 1932. The pharmacy occupies 1,650 square feet; the retail space, 5,000 square feet. The dedicated area for The Toy Jungle, Northeast Iowa’s largest toy store, was added much later. Donlon’s hometown of Decorah is also home to Nordic Fest, an annual three-day celebration of Scandinavian heritage that welcomes thousands of visitors from around the world. Pederson said their candy and snacks have three main customer demographics: tourists who visit Decorah, local school children who visit The Toy Jungle, and employees from neighboring businesses who stop by Donlon’s for a quick snack on their lunch break. “We have families who come in from all over the world for Nordic Fest.

Continued on page 162

Edible Gifts

Edible Add-Ons (From page 161)

They will be buying old-fashioned toys and they like to buy old-fashioned candy. We often hear two different generations stating how they “remember eating this as a kid.” Pederson said they carried a wide assortment of retro candy, but ceased most of the ordering due to COVID-19. “When we closed because of COVID, we had curbside service. This included candy. People could go online and order it, then we would take it out to them. Because folks weren’t coming into the store, we stopped carrying candy and snacks. We are bringing it back this year for Nordic Fest,” she said. “Our best-sellers in candy are the basics—chocolate bars, M&Ms. Tamales are a hot item. In the old-fashioned candy, the root beer barrels sell well, and also Zots. Knudsen’s Caramels [made in Red Wing,

Food Gifts

McCutcheon Apple Products offers fast-selling, high-quality, shelf-stable products for your retail store, garden center, or gift shop.

(Call the McCutcheon’s wholesale office today at 301-662-3261 to set up your Wholesale account. For additional information, circle 44 on the reader service card.)

Minn.] are highly, highly popular. Folks come in and buy them for coffee gatherings, or they will cut them up and give them as gifts at Christmas.” Pederson said the sweet items ultimately sell better than savory: “It’s the adults who usually want the salty or savory snacks. We sell a lot of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Snickers, M&Ms, gum. In savory our big sellers are mixed nuts, peanuts, and single bags of chips.”

When customers walk through Fireside Flowers and Gifts’ selection of fresh and silk flowers to the back of the store, they will find an assortment of edible gifts. Boccella said they sell more sweets, with Abdallah Chocolates and Sea Salt Caramels their biggest sellers; Stonewall Jams are “a close runner up … some people like the mix of sweet and salty, but everyone really goes for the sweets.” As customers begin to shop in-person again, retailers are noticing some trends. “Pretzels are a big thing,” Boccella said. “We have a fancy assortment with white, milk, dark, and flavors like Oreo-covered that seems to be really popular.”

Bethea has noticed an interesting buying pattern with their customers. “As more and more people identify themselves as ‘foodies’, for that segment of the customer base we have to find cool, neat things for them to buy, whether it’s an appetizer or a sweet bite at the end of a cool meal. Then we have people who have eaten Snickers forever. If they’re going to allow themselves a treat, they reach for a Snickers. It’s either something very standard, or something very exotic. There’s not much middle ground.” Anderson is seeing more snack and candy options for people with food sensitivities as an emerging trend. “There is some easing into natural, organic, allergyfriendly snacks and candy. I am seeing more family shopping for food sensitivities. We have a section that’s sugar-free diabetic candy, and allergy-friendly. That’s a bit closer to home because my daughter has some food allergies, so I try to keep things on hand for her,” he said. He named Enjoy Life, a gluten-free, allergy-free snack line; 88 Acres

Continued on page 164

Edible Gifts

Edible Add-Ons (From page 163)

Seed Bars, treats free of peanuts, tree nuts, gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, and sesame; and BonBons from Switzerland by European company EuroChoc, sugar-free chocolates available in a variety of flavors, as a few standout brands in the food sensitivity snack category at Oswald’s.

Clean, well-organized, and well-stocked are just three must-haves for an effective edible gift display, according to retailers. Additionally, Bethea arranges like items together. “For the specialty things, the sweet and salty snacks are put with the serving pieces. We put them with the serving ware where people will look at the item and say, ‘Oh yes, I can buy that and serve it.’ Put items together to show people how they can use them in their hospitality. You want to display them in a manner where you plant seeds for why the person has to make that purchase,” she said. “What entices people the most—you make it where they can’t walk out of the store without [the item]. They’ll personally enjoy it or want to buy it for someone they’re going home to or being entertained by.” Bethea said planning events in which products can be sampled also helps to boost sales. “Plan an event, or when you have an event, make sure those products are part of your display in a high traffic part of the store. Set [products] up in an attractive manner.” Nostalgia and reminiscing lead to sales with much of Donlon Pharmacy’s older clientele. Pederson said, “We’ve been in existence since 1932. A lot of our clientele remember when we had a soda fountain. We get a lot of folks who want to come in and reminisce. That will lead them to come in and pick up some candy which reminds them of those times. Our store is part of the history of downtown Decorah, and reminiscing makes a difference in buying habits. We have multigenerations who will come in and share memories. During COVID, folks realized how important families and memories are. We have seen a lot of old-fashioned toys selling. When folks come in, they come in for the experience. They come in for the toy department and the candy. When they leave, we want to make sure they had the best experience possible.” ❖

Edible Gifts Product News

Gift Cakes

Tortuga Rum Cake Company offers the Tortuga worldrenowned brand that continues to lead the gourmet spirit cake category by focusing on innovation. Recently launched is the highly-anticipated Southern Trio range. (For more information, www.tortugarumcakes.com or circle 90 on the reader service card.)