Country and Candy Stores: Trends in Edible Gifts

By Sara Karnish

There will likely never be a time when people don’t turn to the familiar and comfortable in times of great stress and uncertainty. That was certainly true in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic and its subsequent restrictions kept individuals in the safety and security of their homes. Consumers still sought out the perfect gift to send to friends and family for holidays and special occasions despite event cancellations. As a result, the timeless appeal of edible gifts continued throughout much of 2020.

“The edible gifts increased in popularity, particularly in the last year as people were staying home and doing more cooking,” said Sandy Grunzweig , owner of Marilla Country Store in Marilla, N.Y. “You can give a gift of a food basket or ingredient basket rather than a restaurant gift card. The gift cards are great and a good way to support other local businesses, but it’s something you may not be able to use right away. We’ve also seen an increase in people buying chocolates—as people are more stressed, it’s been a nice little appreciation or treat. Edible gifts are a strong ‘go to’ gift because most people like a sweet treat. It’s harder to buy a gift of home décor or jewelry for someone if you don’t know their taste. There’s a broad spectrum of people who will always appreciate a candy treat. You have to know someone a little better to choose home décor or jewelry.”

She added, “Edible gifts are in demand because they are in some way handcrafted, and high quality. And you can fill a box of chocolates for a reasonable price and make a nice presentation. Plus there’s the notion of specialty, and it’s a nice, easy solution when you’re not sure what to get.”

Levi Tremblay , Candy Maker at Tremblay’s Sweet Shop in Stillwater, Minn., said edible gifts will never go out of style. “I think people are tired of the guesswork involved in buying gifts. ‘Is it the right size?’, ‘Will they use it?’, ‘Do they already have it?’—instead, [a customer] can send an assorted box of chocolates and rest assured each person will find something they like.” The shop is owned and operated by Tremblay’s mother, Marcy Tremblay.

Even the most indulgent edible gift serves a practical purpose—everyone likes to eat. Whether it’s a quick snack to munch on while working, or a sumptuous box of chocolates meant to be savored, food is a widely-accepted gift.

“Edible gifts are comforting, nostalgic, social, and an inexpensive way to provide a lasting memorable treat to loved ones,” said Missy Swenk , manager of

Country and Candy Stores (From page 56)

Port Clinton Peanut Shop in Port Clinton, Pa. Their in-demand gifts are “fresh-roasted peanuts, roasted on the premises, and kept in a warmer, are available in four different temperatures—light, medium, brown and extra brown, many popular homemade specialties such as peanut rolls, caramel corn, fudge, chocolate covered bacon, special made gift baskets and trays, an abundance of nostalgic novelties, licorices from all over the world, jellies, gummies, and gourmet chocolates.”

Nostalgia and uniqueness have emerged as two major trends in edible gifts. Customers are drawn to the nostalgic treats from their own childhoods and often purchase these items as gifts for loved ones or splurge on a little bit of comfort for themselves. Grunzweig said the “homey” feeling of their 6,000-square-foot country store carries over to the products they sell, and customers notice.

“We’re a 170-year-old country store. It’s a very unique experience when you walk in—it’s the original building complete with squeaky floors—and there’s a nostalgic, comforting sort of feeling. Given the ‘thing’ you feel when you walk in, people hearken back to a sense of nostalgia. People find candies and other things they had as children—like penny candy, jarred candy, and licorice. People tend to gravitate toward these items for gifting, and one thing we do is to put together a bag of classic favorite candies. It stirs up a certain kind of emotion and people really enjoy it.”

Jenny Solt-Cerato , owner of Jenny’s Sweets and More in Lehighton, Pa., said clear toy candy is currently one of their biggest sellers because of its nostalgia factor. “People want the clear toy candy any time of year,” she explained. “They’re a memory. Many people have good memories of childhood, and if they can attach something to it [a food], there’s an emotional connection.”

Amy Clauser , co-owner of C&C Candies and Country Store in Friedensburg, Pa., said edible gifts are consistently strong sellers. “It’s our business [food], but we’ve definitely seen an increase since COVID— people are buying more comfort-type foods. People are more willing to buy a pound of chocolate versus a half pound,” she pointed out.

Retailers said customers look for edible gifts unique to a particular region. “Most of our energy goes into making delicious and unique products,” said Tremblay. “We use the same family recipes from when we opened in 1963. We offer lots of options - fudge, brittle, turtles, caramels, truffles, toffee, and almond bark. From there, the candy sort of sells itself. If it tastes good, people will order again.”

Cocoa bombs—hot chocolate mix and marshmallows inside a chocolate shell—have been a new item on the market that’s quickly become popular in a few months. “In December [2020] we started selling the

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cocoa bombs, and they were a huge hit,” Tremblay said. Clauser said cocoa bombs have been popular for them, as well. “We started selling them around the beginning of December, and sold about 1,000 throughout the holiday season,” she said. “Coming up on Valentine’s Day, our most in-demand gifts are definitely chocolate-covered strawberries and breakable hearts.” C&C’s retail operation measures approximately 2,500 square feet; their overall best-sellers in the chocolate line are “peanut rolls—buttercream dipped in milk or dark chocolate and rolled in peanuts. They’re kind of a regional specialty,” Clauser explained.

Similarly, Grunzweig said their biggest seller— sponge candy—is also a local favorite. (Sponge candy is a light, airy confection with a molasses flavor. It may be dipped in chocolate or served plain).

Display is always important when it comes to boosting sales, and it is especially critical for edible items. “For things like chocolates and other quality items, you want to show them in a quality presentation,” Grunzweig explained. “It’s important to pull some things together to make the suggestion of what a gift could look like. Sometimes you have someone come in who’s not sure what they’re looking for. Having some things on display will help the shopper. It’s important things look fresh and quality if you’re giving a food gift.”

Solt-Cerato said, “talking to people” is an effective selling tip, and having clean, organized displays also drives sales. “When people come into the store and I speak to them about something that’s new, it will sell better than just setting it out,” she explained. “We get a lot of feedback from our customers [about our displays]—they like how clean, neat, and orderly it is. It’s

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Country and Candy Stores (From page 59) important to customers to come in and not feel crowded. They don’t want clutter. They like that things are organized.”

Displays and packaging are also a great way to raise brand awareness. Logoed stickers on candy boxes and other packaging, special gift bags, and other items are just a few ways candy and country stores set themselves apart from other retailers. Tremblay said their customers appreciate the extra touches their store provides.

“We have various sizes of gift boxes, along with ribbons, wrapping paper, and customer enclosure cards,” he explained. “We leave this up to the customer, as they’re often just as happy putting the candy in a paper Tremblay’s bag.”

‘Uniqueness’ doesn’t just include the products; it’s about creating an entire special shopping experience. “We don’t have a lot of fancy gourmet products— homespun, authentic products work best for us,” Grunzweig said. “We sell a lot of maple syrup, which isn’t fancy but it makes a great gift. Authenticity around what the products are and pulling them together in a nice presentation or gift solution has worked for us.”

Selling Sweets: A Little or A Lot?

Sometimes we just need a little treat to satisfy our sweet tooth; for other occasions, buying in bulk is the best solution. Retailers selling edible gifts are happy to accommodate customers’ wide-ranging needs. “The size of the gift usually depends on the number of recipients,” said Levi Tremblay of Tremblay’s Sweet Shop.

“We sell everything from one to two individual chocolates to large trays fit for groups of people,” said Missy Swenk, manager of Port Clinton Peanut Shop. “At the Peanut Shop, people can buy as much or as little as they’d like—“Providing options to customers sell the best … We even have 50-pound bags of peanuts in their shells for customers who desire them.”

Typically, however, retailers said smaller quantities sell best. “We do offer to purchase in bulk if a customer would like it, say for a birthday party, but I think people like to have a little taste of this, and a little taste of that,” said Jenny Solt-Cerato of

Jenny’s Sweets and More. “Our gummies, for instance—we put together a Sample Pack with nine different gummies. We give them a little selection, and that’s what sells.”

Clauser said different sizes sell better at different times of year. “For the Christmas season, a two-pound box will sell better than a half-or one-pound,” she explained. “Easter, we’ll sell more half- and one-pound boxes. I would say the smaller amounts—half- and one-pound— are our more popular items.”

Said Sandy Grunzweig of Marilla Country Store, “Smaller is better. You can pull together multiple things as a reasonablypriced gift and people feel they are getting a lot of treats. You wouldn’t necessarily want to buy a large quantity of something for the person’s pantry shelf—that would be more of a grocery order than a gift.”