A Candycopia of Candy Choices

What impressed you to begin your online business?
Candycopia was born out of our perception that no group is full with out a sweet retailer. My household enjoys visiting native ones whereas we’re on trip, and it’s all the time a spotlight to look at our children’ faces gentle up whereas they’re strolling the aisles and discovering new candies. My husband Patrick and I really like Oak Park and felt like a sweet retailer right here would make a terrific addition to the world since there are such a lot of younger households, vacationers, and different small, unbiased companies. We’re first-time enterprise house owners, and we merely needed to pour our power right into a enterprise that might have a constructive affect on our group and make individuals comfortable. Now we’re attending to do exactly that; even our daughters, Campbell and Addison, have an opportunity to work within the retailer and assist clients discover new candies.

What makes your store distinctive?
Our dedication to range and discovery. We provide an unmatched collection of old style candies in addition to worldwide classics and novelty gadgets, and we attempt to spotlight diverse-owned companies and small-batch producers. About 40 p.c of our stock is small-batch candies from candymakers most individuals would have by no means skilled earlier than. We inform the tales of every one we characteristic, serving to individuals be taught extra about them and what they make.

Additional, our storefront is designed to be interactive and permit clients to have extra of an expertise versus simply shopping for sweet. It’s an area for exploration, discovery, and indulgence. Take our sweet bar: friends can sit and revel in a sweet or chocolate flight, make their very own ice cream float, or bask in a candy-inspired ice cream sundae. We’ve additionally created completely different sweet challenges—together with bitter, spicy, and concern issue (which options sweet with bugs!)—in addition to a sweet quest that may be a mixture of blind-bag tastings and a scavenger hunt across the retailer. They’re every a enjoyable manner of discovering new treats and making recollections along with your family members.

Past that, we ship to all fifty states, and we take nice care when delivery our candies, particularly delicate gadgets like goodies. So if you happen to order a curated chocolate flight in a warm-weather month, as an illustration, we’ll use chilly packs to keep up the precise temperature throughout transit, guaranteeing that the candies arrive in excellent situation regardless of the local weather.

What do you take pleasure in most about being within the sweet trade?
The perfect half is the fixed alternative to carry smiles and candy moments to our clients’ lives, whether or not it’s serving to somebody discover a deal with for themselves or a liked one, making an occasion a bit of bit tastier, or making a particular in-store expertise for households. Sweet incites pleasure in individuals, and it’s nice to be part of that.

How do you keep present with developments?
It includes fixed analysis and engagement with the broader sweet group. We hearken to our clients’ suggestions, attend expos to be taught what’s occurring throughout the trade, and even discover social media websites to get an thought of what customers are thinking about. We’ve regularly seen that TikTok has a very huge affect on the sorts of treats youngsters and younger adults need to purchase. For example, bitter candies (particularly gummies), freeze-dried candies, and Swedish gummies are all rising in recognition due to social media developments. So we’ve labored this stuff into our in-store and on-line alternatives to draw customers and assist them uncover extra choices they won’t discover in different places.

Which candies have confirmed to be the most well-liked?
Within the retailer, our bestsellers are the 170 types of bulk bars and candies, any of the Chocs ‘N Containers gadgets, the Dallas Caramel Firm caramels, and our completely different worldwide sweet choices. On-line, our high sellers are our quite a few types of freeze-dried candies, cotton sweet, Chamoy Pickle Kits [a mix of various Mexican candies], and Barnett Mega Sours [the world’s sourest candy].

With Halloween arising, what treats would you advocate individuals attempt?
You may’t go flawed with caramel apples, something pumpkin or apple cider flavored, and even our gummy physique elements!

For more information, go to candycopia.com or observe @candycopia on social media