Edible Gifts

from Souvenirs, Gifts & Novelties - June/July 2021

Toy Vendor Profile

the United States ceased production in the summer because cool conditions are needed to produce finished chocolates, so production was difficult or impossible. “I think this contributed to a cultural association of summer with ice cream whereas chocolates resonate with cooler weather,” she said.

Jeff Balk , owner, Snyder’s Candy, Rehoboth Beach, Del., said candy that is popular on Tik Tok and YouTube dictate both candy sales in store and online. Last summer, even during the pandemic, Jelly Fruits outsold all other candies at least 10 to one. Now, he is seeing continued sales in Jelly Fruits, but both Toxic Waste’s Slime Lickers and Juicy Drop Pop’s Dip ‘n Stix will take off this summer. “Their momentum has al- ready picked up and our distributors are unable to keep them in stock,” he said. “There is no doubt that their popularity is triggered by videos posted online. Typically, popular summertime candies sales include cotton candy, Bean Boozled, and anything sour.”

Favorites Other Times of the Year

Cherry Republic’s line of chocolates is consistently a best-seller throughout the year. “Chocolate is a universal gift and appropriate any time of the year,” Gildersleeve said. The shop carries a wide variety of chocolates including cherries covered in milk chocolate, Continued on page 96

Edible Merchandise News

Nassau Candy Debuts Exclusive Confectionery Creations at Sweets & Snacks 2021

Nassau Candy, a leading wholesale manufacturer of specialty and private label confections, will reveal its latest crop of factory-fresh chocolate and exclusive gummy creations at Sweets & Snacks 2021 in Booth # 21628. New to the Nassau Candy roster – hot chocolate bombs, milk chocolate cake batter, milk chocolate covered red fish, milk chocolate sea salt caramel sandwich cookies, donut holes, a family-sized s’mores kit, and gummy glitter stars and moons.

“Two-thousand and twenty into 2021 has been all about comfort and snacking, with chocolate, anything s’mores, and little bites of indulgence topping the must-have list,” said Les Stier, CEO and founder of Nassau Candy. “This year, we’re ahead of the trends, giving customers all their favorite comforts with new twists they will really appreciate. We’re excited to share new products bursting with chocolate, decadent pieces of batter and dough, as well as snacks to get the whole family in on the fun.”

Nassau Candy will also be one of the first to merchandise its bulk offerings in the latest bulk candy display from Siffron, a leader in retail merchandising and loss prevention. The display features scoop bins in a tiered assembly for easy access and visibility to the product levels in the bins. For added food safety, each bin is equipped with a membrane to seal out harmful contaminates when not in use, in addition to scoop holders, self-closing lids, and a sugar tray underneath. Changing the bin sizes and types is simple due to the display’s modular design. Also included with the display is a bag holder that can be placed anywhere on the fixture.

(For more information on Nassau Candy please visit www.nassaucandy.com.)

Mining the Best Candy (From page 95) dark chocolate, cherry chocolate, white confectioners glaze, amaretto chocolate, and premium 72 percent dark chocolate. Its milk and dark chocolate-covered turtles are great for holidays and are always a fan favorite. “Cherry Republic’s chocolate-covered nut mixes are perfect for entertaining—especially around the holidays.”

From September through Father’s Day, DeFluri’s Fine Chocolates’ best-selling candies are boxed chocolates that are purchased primarily as gifts. “They’re popular because they’re a gift that not everyone buys every day; therefore they are seen as special and indulgent,” Casabona said. “If you’re purchasing a gift for someone you don’t know extremely well, chocolates don’t require that you know a size or color preference. They’re considered special but not overly personal. Some events are culturally associated with chocolate such as Valentine’s Day and Easter.”

Snyder’s Candy has been at the same location in Rehoboth Beach for 81 years. Its retro candy selection is an attraction for locals and tourists alike and are popular year-round. “I believe that it’s so popular because of our wide selection,” Balk said. “Other popular items are Pez and anything sour.”

Old Port Candy makes fudge in the 900-square-foot store, which is popular all year long. “People love to buy what we make and what we’re known for,” Largay said.

In-Person Tastings Are Key to Boosting Sales

Giving out free samples is a great way to boost sales at candy shops. But with the pandemic, shops weren’t able to entice guests with the well-proven sales tactic.

Historically, sampling has been extremely important at Cherry Republic. “Our values are life, liberty, beaches, and pie—with ‘pie’ representing generosity,” said Dawn Gildersleeve, the general manager of Cherry Republic’s shop in Traverse City, Mich.

“In pre-COVID times, customers were normally greeted by overflowing sample bowls filled with chocolate-covered cherries, cherry salsas, nut mixes, and cherry candies. In fact, Cherry Republic usually invests hundreds of thousands of dollars each year in providing free samples.

Currently, Cherry Republic is working on COVID-friendly ways to sample, including providing free one-ounce pre-packaged samples of a few of its most popular products. “We’re also hoping to do some outside sampling this summer season,” Gildersleeve said.

Cherry Republic has six stores throughout Michigan, ranging from 5,000 square feet in Traverse City, its flagship store, to 2,000 square feet.

Jeff Balk, owner, Snyder’s Candy, Rehoboth Beach, Del., said fudge samples are always key to selling fudge because it’s hard to say “no” once you have tasted his fudge. Thankfully, the 425-square-foot shop is able to offer samples again.

In-person tastings can help make a sale, said Brenda Casabona, co-owner, DeFluri’s Fine Chocolates, Martinsburg, W.V., who still offers samples in some instances. ❖

Display Tips

Cherry Republic’s iconic, eye-catching packaging makes its products instantly pop on the shelf. “We feature our best-sellers in easy-to-find places and in multiple locations throughout our stores,” Gildersleeve said. “We display smaller versions of our full-sized products at the point-of-sale for last-minute purchases and add-ons.”

Themed displays work best for Casabona, placed well out of the way of sunlight. “Smaller baskets are great for giving a presence to small gift boxes and bags that would otherwise be overlooked if displayed individually,” she said. “We always create displays with varying colors, heights, and levels to draw the eye.” The shop is 1,000 square feet.

Balk’s store is just over 400 square feet so display is key. “We have a section dedicated to retro candy, candy bars, Pez, and so forth,” he said. “People are drawn to this large cluster within the small store.”

“Keep selections full,” Largay said. “No one likes the last one of anything. When it’s full, it’s always more appealing.”

Changes Due to the Pandemic

COVID-19 forced candy stores to make some changes to their service. Before the pandemic, Old Port Candy offered bulk candy that guests could scoop themselves. Now, staff pre-wrap everything in onequarter pound bags. “At first customers missed the scooping, but almost always they end up saying that they actually like it better this way,” Largay said. “I find there are fewer surprises at the cash register and the store is so much cleaner at the end of the day because there aren’t any spills.” She plans to continue bagging all the candy from here on out, even though it’s labor intensive.

Furthermore, Old Port Candy started making private-label fudge for wholesale, as well as selling packaged bulk candy wholesale to some distributors, which has created an additional sales stream.

Cherry Republic made several changes to accommodate COVID-safe protocols, including: creating one-way traffic flow through its retail stores, increasing the frequency of cleaning procedures, installing plastic shields between customers and staff at point-ofpurchase, requiring staff and customers to wear face-

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