The Candy Store Purchasing Guide
Make smart decisions when purchasing equipment for your Candy Store. Learn about the equipment you will need, typical costs, and where are the best places to buy it.
Depending on the range of products in your candy store, you will want to consider starting your business with the following equipment:
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* = not mandatory
Sample List of Purchases
A typical person looking to purchase equipment for a a candy store might make the following purchases:
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Grand Total: $5079.50
Considerations When Buying Candies
Type
Here are some popular types of candy that your customers might expect to see in your candy store:
- Caramel
- Chocolate
- Cotton candy
- Chewing gum
- Gummies
- Licorice
- Hard candies
- Lollipop
- Brittle
- Toffee
- Rock candy
- Sour candies
- Taffy
Color
Some customers may wish to buy candy in certain colors to celebrate special occasions, such as a wedding or graduation ceremony. Having your candy organized by color can be an attractive and helpful way to appeal to these customers.
Flavor
Besides the usual sweetness most candy offers, some candies are mixed with fruity, spicy, sour, or salty ingredients to create a unique and pleasant flavor. Stocking a variety of candies with unique flavors (e.g. peanut butter, coconut, sea salt, chili, orange, lemon, cinnamon, and so on) will help your candy store stand out.
Theme
Are the majority of your customers adults or kids? Are you planning on opening a traditional, artisan, or speciality candy store? Think critically about your customer base and what kind of candy store you want to open, as these are two important factors that will determine the types of candies you should purchase.
For instance, a high-end chocolate shop is likely to appeal to adults who are shopping for gifts, holidays, and other special occasions. On the other hand, a bulk candy store that sells novelty candies associated with cartoon characters would be more likely to appeal to children. .
Shelf Life
If you’re not making your own candies, strategically plan ahead to make sure the candy you purchase from suppliers will be fresh and tasty by the time it reaches your customers. Typically the softer the candy, the shorter the shelf life it will be.
The typical shelf-life of different types of candy:
- Chocolate: dark chocolate lasts about 12 months, while milk chocolate lasts about 8--10 months
- Hard candy: 9--12 months if stored in a cool, dry place
- Chewing gums: 8--16 months
- Caramel: about 3 weeks at room temperature, but up to 6 months if stored in the freezer
- Gummies: 6 --12 months when kept in the refrigerator or freezer
Country of origin
Some countries such as Germany, Switzerland, and Belgium are famous for their chocolate products, while Japan is famous fort matcha (green tea) flavored sweets. When it comes to a specialty candy, you may want to look for international suppliers to source for the best candy possible.
Health and Other Concerns
More and more people start searching for special candies that will meet their health needs while satisfying their craving for sweets. Some of the typical considerations include: Kosher, gluten-free, non GMO, sugar free, non-artificial coloring, and organic.
There are many candy suppliers online. Pick the ones that have well-maintained websites, active social media presences, and decent customer reviews. Give them a call to ask about discounts on bulk candy.
Here are some sample websites that are good potential sources for buying bulk candy:
Alternatively, you can also buy popular brand-name candies as an add-on to your business. A few sample sweets you may consider:
Next Steps
Find out more about what goes into starting and running a candy store
Protect your personal assets from unexpected legal claims. Consider structuring your business as an LLC.
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