A Experience

July 2009
M E R C H A N D I S I N G
S O L U T I O N S
F O R
T H E
C A N DY
I N D U S T R Y
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
• Sugarless Gum Trends
• Post-ALL CANDY EXPO Report
• ECRM Vendor Award Winners
Sweet
Experience
A
Keeping Kosher
in Skokie, Ill.
WWW.RETAILCONFECTIONER.COM
Sweet
TALK
Drive Time
By Deborah Cassell, Executive Editor
casselld@bnpmedia.com
“D
That’s me standing next to the life-size replica
of Kyle Busch’s Toyota Camry on display at the
recent NASCAR race in Joliet, Ill. The car was
made from wood, padded in Styrofoam and
covered in 1,500 lb. of melted Dove chocolate,
100 lb. of cocoa and 100 lb. of cocoa butter.
rivers, start your engines!” With those words
and the deafening roar of stock cars that
followed, my first-ever NASCAR experience
began.
It was Saturday, July 11, at the Chicagoland Speedway, site of the
LifeLock.com 400, a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event. Since this
was my inaugural trip to the track, I wasn’t sure what to expect. An
exciting night of vehicles vying for victory lane, perhaps. A spin-out
or two (hopefully resulting in no injuries), I thought. And maybe,
just maybe, a basket full of chicken fingers and French fries.
It was all that and more.
Sitting among some 100,000 fans (most sporting
earplugs or headphones), I was mesmerized by the sights
Kyle Busch, driver
of the No. 18 M&M’S
and sounds of the race, from start to finish. I was further
car, may not have
awed by a trip to the pit area, where I saw pit crews and
Ànished the race,
equipment up close and personal.
but he and his
You might be wondering why I was at NASCAR, how
pit crew did help
I got into the pits … and why, oh why, I ate those clucks
put on a show
at the NASCAR
and fries.
Sprint Cup Series’
Regarding my fried food frenzy, I plead the Fifth.
LifeLock.com 400,
(“When in Rome” …) But the ticket and pit pass were
held July 11 at
courtesy of the folks over at Mars Snackfood, who invited
the Chicagoland
me back in 2008. I was unavailable at the time, but cashed
Speedway.
in my rain check this year — partly out of curiosity, partly
to see firsthand the rampant product placement and
partly because, well, why not? NASCAR is a huge part of American
vehicle in the parking lot, the heavy traffic leaving the Speedway or
pop culture. It boasts millions of fans and untold numbers of corthe crazed drivers on the Edens Expressway thinking they were Jimporate supporters, including Kellogg’s, Nabisco, Little Debbie and
mie Johnson (who led most of the race). I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
Mars — sponsor of Kyle Busch’s No. 18 Toyota Camry. (Naturally,
That said, I would have loved to see Busch and the M&M’S car
the car was adorned with advertisements for Mars’ Real Chocolate
take the checkered flag. Busch’s engine expired just seven laps
Relief Act.) Besides, it looked fun.
before the finish. And after a mostly clean race (until the end,
And it was.
when five cautions in the last 67 laps sent spectator adrenaline into
At times, I recalled scenes from “Talladega Nights: The Ballad
overdrive), it was 50-year-old driver Mark Martin who proved that
of Ricky Bobby” — the 2006 comedy in which Will Ferrell plays
younger doesn’t always mean faster. Martin was followed by fan
a NASCAR driver sponsored by Wonder bread who gives thanks
favorite and fellow teammate Jeff Gordon, age 37, creating a 1-2
before dinner for Domino’s, KFC and Taco Bell (and is contractuwin for team owner Hendrick Motorsport.
ally obligated to mention PowerAde’s “Mystic Mountain Blueberry”
As we at BNP Media embark on a new era for sister publicaflavor at every sitting).
tions Candy Industry and the newly renamed Retail Confectioner
But for the most part, the event was very real (like Mars’ choco(previously Confection & Snack Retailing) I cannot help but make
late), very fast (cars went upwards of 200 mph) … and thrilling
the connection between the Hendrick dream team and our new
beyond belief.
partnership here at work. Starting this month, as RC joins the pages
It’s a rare moment in life when you get to experience something
of CI, Editor-in-Chief Bernie Pacyniak and I hope to be the winning
new for the very first time. NASCAR did not disappoint. Nevermind
combo that Martin and Gordon proved themselves in Joliet.
the long drive from Evanston to Joliet, the late-night search for my
To quote Ricky Bobby, it’s time to “shake and bake.”
RC4 RETAIL CONFECTIONER July 2009
www.retailconfectioner.com
New Products
Goetze Gourmet
Caramel Creams
Goetze’s Candy Co., Inc., Baltimore, Md.
www.goetzecandy.com.
1-888-638-1456
Crispy Bananas
Crispy Green, Fairfield, N.J.
www.crispygreen.com
1-973-679-4515
New to the Crispy Green Crispy Fruit line, Crispy Bananas are
100% freeze-dried banana slices containing no added sugar,
preservatives, colors, flavors, fat or cholesterol. They’re also
certified kosher parve by Shatz Kosher Services. Additionally,
Crispy Bananas are peanut/tree nut-, dairy- and gluten-free.
A single serving (.53 oz.) offers 2 g. of dietary fiber and 13 g. of
carbohydrates. Crispy Bananas can be eaten alone or enjoyed
in hot cereal, muffins, banana bread, scones and cookies.
Other varieties in the line are Crispy Apples, Crispy Pears and
Crispy Pineapples.
Ingredients: Bananas (Each bag contains approximately one
large banana).
S.R.P.: $1.49 for a single-serve pack; $7.99 for a 6-pack
RC6 RETAIL CONFECTIONER July 2009
Perhaps best known for its Goetze brand Caramel Creams and
Cow Tales, Goetze Candy Co., Inc. recently introduced two
new products. Goetze Gourmet Double Chocolate Caramel
Creams are rich chocolate caramel wrapped around even
richer chocolate centers; they’re also naturally flavored and a
good source of calcium, delivering 30% of the recommended
daily allotment per serving — as much as an 8-oz. glass of
milk. Goetze Gourmet Licorice Caramel Creams offer a unique
combination of licorice caramel wrapped around rich,
creamy centers; the product is flavored with natural licorice
extract and fortified with calcium and fiber, delivering 30%
and 11% of the recommended daily allotments, respectively.
Both varieties are available in 9-oz. gusseted bags and packed
12 to a master case.
Ingredients (Licorice variety): Wheat flour, corn syrup, sugar,
molasses, maltodextrin (dietary fiber), partially hydrogenated
soybean oil, caramel color, dextrose, high fructose corn
syrup, skim milk, calcium carbonate, modified whey, cream,
licorice root, natural flavor, mono and diglycerides, salt, soy
lecithin, corn starch.
S.R.P.: $2.99 per bag
Karma Candy
Healthy Yoga
g Treats
Classy Candy Co., Houston, Texas
www.classy-yoga-candy.com
om
1-281-870-0508
Made with Indian gooseberry,
y, a
nt
naturally powerful antioxidant
agent, Karma Candy is allal
natural and free from artificial
ingredients.
Ingredients: Sugar, glucose,
Indian gooseberry, clove,
ginger, pepper, cinnamon.
S.R.P.: $1 for 0.8 oz., $5 for
4 oz., $15 for 14 oz., $50 for
3 lb.
www.retailconfectioner.com
Editor’s
Choice
Seeds of Change Chocolate
Seeds of Change, Hackettstown, N.J., a division of Mars, Inc.
www.seedsofchangefood.com
1-410-371-7525
Preserving biodiversity and promoting sustainable, organic farming is the mission
w
at Seeds of Change, maker of a line of certified organic seed and food products. Now,
the company is adding chocolate to that lineup, introducing six new USDA-certified
organic Seeds of Change brand chocolate bars in the following flavors: Milk Chocolate,
Milk Chocolate with Puffed Grains, Dark Chocolate, Dark Chocolate with Cherries &
Vanilla, Dark Chocolate with Coconut, and Dark Chocolate with Mango & Cashew.
Ingredients (Dark Chocolate With Mango & Cashew variety): Semisweet chocolate
(chocolate*, evaporated cane juice*, cocoa butter*, milkfat*, soy lecithin*, vanilla extract*),
cashews*, mango*. May contain peanuts, tree nuts, and wheat. *Organic
S.R.P.: $3.69 per bar
Ellison Bakery Premium Cookies
Ellison Bakery, Fort Wayne, Ind.
www.ellisonbakery.com
1-877-298-4101
“Find Comfort In Our Cookies” is the tagline for family-owned Ellison Bakery’s new line of
premium products. The chewy cookies come in nine varieties: Soft Apple Raisin, Soft Rocky
Road, Soft Raspberry Filled, Soft Chocolate Chip, Soft Oatmeal, Soft Oatmeal Raisin, Soft
Date Filed, Soft Molasses and Classic Sugar.
Ingredients (Soft Rocky Road variety): Enriched bleached flour (bleached wheat flour,
niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), sugar, vegetable
shortening (partially hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oils with TBHQ and citric
acid added to help protect flavor), high fructose corn syrup, chocolate chips (sugar,
chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, dextrose, soy lecithin (an emulsifier), and vanillin (an
artificial flavoring), walnuts, corn syrup, margarine (palm oil, soybean oil, salt, mono and
diglycerides, colored with annatto, calcium disodium EDTA added as a preservative, artificial
flavors, vitamin A palmitate), raisin paste, cocoa (processed with alkali), contains 2% of less
of eggs, modified corn starch, mono and diglycerides, natural and artificial flavors, salt,
baking soda, baking powder (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, corn starch,
monocalcium phosphate) potassium sorbate (preservative).
S.R.P.: $3.19-$3.29 per 10-oz. package
www.retailconfectioner.com
Wonk
Wonka
ka
Sluggles
les
and
Puckerooms
erooms
Nestlé USA, Inc., Glendale, Calif.
www.wonka.com
1-818-549-6413
Admittedly, I’ve never been a big
fan of gummies. Truth is, I’ve always
preferred chocolate to fruit flavors
when it comes to candy, and melty
to chewy when it comes to texture.
But I’ll try (almost) anything once.
So when Nestlé’s new Wonka brand
Sluggles (slug-shaped, in lemon,
strawberry, grape and orange flavors)
and Sour Puckerooms (mushroomshaped, in cherry, grape, lemon/orange
and grape/cherry flavors) crossed
my desk, I gave them a taste and
see. Turns out these gummies are
shockingly fresh, juicy and perfectly
sweet. They’re also fun to say! Just
call me Charlie Bucket, cuz I’m now a
fan of “Wonka’s Edible Garden.” Did
I mention that both Sluggles and
Puckerooms are fat-free? They’re also
made with 25% real fruit juice. Yum.
Ingredients (Sluggles): Glucose syrup,
sugar, water, gelatin, apple juice
concentrate, lactic acid, tartaric acid,
malic acid, citric acid, sorbitol, natural flavors, vegetable and fruit juice
color, cochineal color, beta-carotene
color, and milk, egg, wheat, peanut,
tree nut, soy and sulfite ingredients.
S.R.P.: $1.79 per bag
— Deborah Cassell
July 2009 RETAIL CONFECTIONER RC7
New Products
Now and Later
SOFT
Farley’s and Sathers Candy Co.,
Round Lake, Minn.
www.farleysandsathers.com
1-800-533-0330
MEGA
Candy Buttons
Stichler Products, Inc.,
Reading, Pa.
1-610-921-0211
Everything old is new again at
Stichler Products, whose MEGA
Candy Buttons play enlarged
homage to a retro favorite. Each
package of buttons contains three
sheets in the following “gourmet”
flavors: cherry, orange, lemon and
raspberry.
Ingredients: Sugar, egg albumen,
cornstarch, contains 1% or less
of: corn syrup solids, agar-agar,
calcium carbonate, calcium sulfate,
carboxymethyl cellulose, monodiglycerides, artificial colors FD&C Red
40, Blue 1, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, natural and
artificial flavors. Contains: Egg whites.
S.R.P.: $2.99 for a 3-oz. package
Farley’s and Sathers has added three new
flavors to its Now and Later SOFT 9-piece
changemakers: banana, cherry and
watermelon. The taffy bars come packed 24
to a tray and 12 trays per case.
Ingredients (Cherry variety): Sugar, corn
syrup, hydrogenated soybean oil, citric acid,
egg whites, salt, potato starch, soy lecithin,
artificial flavor, Red 40, Blue 1. (Banana
variety): Sugar, corn syrup, hydrogenated
soybean oil, egg whites, artificial flavor, salt,
potato starch, soy lecithin, Yellow
5. (Watermelon variety): Sugar,
corn syrup, hydrogenated
soybean oil, citric acid,
egg whites, salt, potato
starch, soy lecithin,
artificial flavor, Red
40, Blue 1.
S.R.P.: $0.30 per
9-piece bar
Sport Lover’s Chocolate
Bridge Brands Chocolate, San Francisco
www.bridgebrandschocolate.com
1-888-732-4626
Bridge Brands Chocolate, also known as The San Francisco Chocolate Factory,
debuted its new Sport Lover’s Chocolate at the Summer Fancy Food Show in New
York. The line targets consumers with active lifestyles and includes gourmet
white, milk and dark chocolate drops, featuring different seasonal pastimes on
its packages. The Sport Lover’s Winter Chocolate Collection shows a graceful iceskater, a shredding skier and a high-flying snowboarder, while the Sport Lover’s
Summer Chocolate Collection shows a serving tennis player, a speeding cyclist
and a swinging golfer.
Ingredients (Dark Chocolate Drops): Cocoa nibs, sugar, cocoa butter, soya lecithin,
vanilla beans.
S.R.P.: $6.46 per bar, $19.49 for a 3-pack
RC8 RETAIL CONFECTIONER July 2009
For more new products, visit www.retailconfectioner.com.
There, you also can subscribe to our free e-newsletter,
sweet & healthy, which features new products on a
weekly basis as well as a “sweet of the week.”
Industry
TRENDS
A Sugarless Surge
Sugar-free gum sales are on the rise,
despite the economy, making at least
one candy category “recession-proof.”
By Deborah Cassell
I
t’s been widely reported that candy is recession-resistant,
and although this notion is up for debate, at least one
category seems to be holding its own, despite a down
economy: sugarless gum.
Whereas regular (sugared) gum brands saw a decrease of
10.6% in sales for the latest 52 weeks ending May 17, 2009,
compared to one year ago, sugarless gum brands accounted
for $1.14 billion in sales during the same period — that’s a
9.6% increase over the same period one year ago, says Chicago market research firm Information Resources, Inc.
An increasing number of
introductions offer teethwhitening and -strengthening,
and plaque- and cavity-Àghting
attributes, all in an often minty,
sometimes fruity package.
The success of the sugar-free gum category
stems from escalating consumer interest in
better-for-you products with functional health
benefits, even in candy. An increasing number
of introductions offer teeth-whitening and
-strengthening, and plaque- and cavity-fighting
attributes, all in an often minty, sometimes
fruity package.
Take Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co.’s Orbit brand, which
carries the American Dental Association (ADA)
Seal of Approval. Orbit products have been proven to
help fight cavities, strengthen teeth and reduce harmful
plaque acids, ultimately helping chewers to maintain good
oral healthy, the company claims. New varieties include
Positively Pomegranate and Strawberry Mint.
Then there’s the new Orbit Mist line of “hydrating” gum
with micro-bursts, available in Peppermint Spray, Watermelon Spring and Mango Surf varieties, which also play on the
popularity of fruit-flavored gums that freshen breath, too.
That taste trend continues in Wrigley’s Extra Fruit Sensations
Continued on page RC12
RC10 RETAIL CONFECTIONER July 2009
www.retailconfectioner.com
Industry Trends
Continued from page RC10
line of “long-lasting fruit flavors” such as
new Berry Smoothie and Mango Smoothie.
And Wrigley’s upscale 5 brand
capitalizes on the sugar-free fruit gum
direction with its new Solstice (a warm
and cool winter flavor) and Zing (a sour
to sweet bubble experience) varieties.
Additionally, The Hershey Co. embraces functional demands with its Ice
Breakers Ice Cubes White Chewing Gum.
Unlike stick and shell gums, the new
product features a “cool cube shape”
that’s frosted through a proprietary
process for an extra-cold alternative.
It comes in Wintergreen Splash and
Mango Kiwi Cooler flavors.
New sugar-free varieties of Cadbury
North America’s Trident brand answer
the call for a cavity-fighting chew that
“cleans and protects teeth,” as well,
through the use of xylitol. New varieties
are Strawberry Twist and Wintergreen;
a classic Trident flavor, Cinnamon, also
makes its return this summer at the
request of consumers. Two other fruity
new g
gum p
products from
Cadbury are
Top 10 Sugarless Gum Brands
(Latest 52 weeks ending May 17, 2009)
Dollar Sales
(in millions)
Dollar Sales
% Chg. Vs.
Yr. Ago
Dollar
Share
Dollar Share
Chg. Vs.
Yr. Ago
Orbit
$215.0
-0.9
18.8
-2.0
Trident
$140.4
+4.0
12.3
-0.7
Wrigley’s
$113.6
-21.4
10.0
-3.9
Wrigley’s 5
$112.9
+99.5
9.9
+4.5
Wrigley’s Eclipse
$107.2
+6.3
9.4
-0.3
Stride
$94.9
+18.4
8.3
-0.6
Trident White
$58.8
-6.1
5.2
-0.9
Dentyne Ice
$57.4
-15.7
5.0
-1.5
Orbit White
$50.3
+4.3
4.4
-0.2
Wrigley’s Extra
Fruit Sensations
$37.4
+7,688.8
3.3
+3.2
$1,141.7
+9.6
100.0
Brands
TOTAL, including
brands not shown
TOTAL U
U.S. –F/D/MX (Supermarkets, drugstores and mass merchandise outlets, excluding Wal-Mart)
Source
Source: Information Resources, Inc. (IRI), a Chicago-based market research Àrm
intere
est in classic flavors
interest
flavors with its recently
intro
introduced Uber Bubble — the ninth
var
variety from Stride since its launch in
20
2006.
Another company making strides in
the gum category is Verve, Inc., whose Glee
Gum line takes into account not just health
benefits but allergens. Glee Gum is free
Marvelous Marketing
M
T
id t Whit
d
Trident
White C
Cooll M
Mango B
Berry and
Trident Splash Orange Swirl.
“Fruit flavors are the fastest growing segment in the gum category,” says
Lesya Lysyj, executive vice president of
marketing for Cadbury. “What’s more,
the whitening segment continues to
outpace category trends.”
Another trend driving the category is
convenience. For example, Cadbury now
offers its sugar-free Dentyne brand gum in a
bottle that holds 60 pieces; consumers can
choose from three “mint” varieties: Peppermint, Arctic Chill and Spearmint.
Last, but not least, like Trident with
its “new” Cinnamon selection, Cadbury’s
sugar-free Stride brand addresses renewed
RC12 RETAIL CONFECTIONER July 2009
“Sp
“Spider-Man
4” may not hit theaters until 2011, but in the meantime, the
sup
superhero lives on through Marvel comics … and now, Spider-Man Gum.
N
New from Bonus Gum, the super-soft bubble gum comes in 40 limited-edition
comic wrappers. Each 4-oz. package
features 20 individually
wrapped pieces.
“We developed
the product due to the
increasing interest in the
superhero world,” says
Bonus Gum president
Jay Klein. “It’s fun for kids,
fun for adults.
“Spider-Man has been
the No. 1 boys’ brand
worldwide for more than
40 years, globally,” he
adds.
www.retailconfectioner.com
Ripe for the Picking
Those who like to blow
bubbles are no doubt
familiar with Wm.
Wrigley Jr. Co.’s Hubba
Bubba brand, which for
years has been bringing
Áavorful fun to kids of all
ages. It now comes in a
new Áavor, Sweet & Sassy Cherry, which launched this spring.
from almost everything, including artificial
preservatives, flavors, colors and sweeteners such as aspartame, saccharin and
cyclamate. It’s also all-natural, made from
sustainably harvested rainforest chicle.
Consumers can choose from six flavors
as well as new Wee Glee — mini pieces of
the gum in every assortment, including
an exclusive banana variety, packaged in a
single box.
Another company going au natural
is Bonus Gum, which plans to debut a
brand-new line of xylitol-based gum that
will offer a natural, premium chewing
experience, says president Jay Klein.
“Our mission with this new line is to
have as few ingredients as possible
that are as simple as possible for everyone to understand,” he notes.
Growing consumer awareness
is driving the trend toward clean
labels and aspartame-free products,
Klein says, but further education at
the retail level as well as sampling
programs are necessary to promote
further understanding.
Another factor motivating the consumer
to continue to purchase from this successful category is value. In most cases, gum
remains an affordable luxury, and as such, it
often sails under the radar, Klein notes.
That said, consumers do look at cost,
even when it comes to gum. Consequently, in today’s economy, manufacturers and retailers have an incentive to
run specials to keep it a truly recessionproof purchase.
IN REVIEW
Retailers Vote for Vendors at
Spring Confectionery Event
Retailers recognized their manufacturing partners at ECRM’s 2009 Spring Confectionary EfÀcient Program
Planning Session, held June 14-17 in Itasca, Ill., through the organization’s new Vendor Awards Program, which
allows buyers to choose their favorite manufacturers in various categories of competition. And the winners are ….
Best New Product
Most Scanned Product
Pez Candy, Inc.’s Disney Valentines
Couples Pez Dispenser gift set for 2010.
Consumers can choose from Donald
& Daisy or Mickey & Minnie. Each set
includes two dispensers and six rolls.
S.R.P.: $4.99 per package.
Maxim Manufacturing and Marketing’s
traditional Bubble Gum Eggs for the Easter
season. S.R.P.: $0.99-$1.49 per 7-oz. package.
Most Prepared
Bazooka Candy Brands, a division of
e
the Topps Company, for its decorative
springtime suite.
World’s Finest Chocolates
Best Room Setup
Editor’s Note: The next ECRM event, Candy Annual Planning, will take place Sept. 21-24 in Dallas. For more information, visit www.ecrm.marketgate.com.
www.retailconfectioner.com
July 2009 RETAIL CONFECTIONER RC13
Retailer ProÀle
David and Melissa Levine,
owners of Illinois Nut &
Candy, Home of Fantasia
Confections, with their
children, Nate (4) and
Joan (1 month)
Sweet
A
Experience
Handmade and moulded chocolates and lactose-free/kosher
parve confections are among the many niche offerings at
Illinois Nut & Candy, where kids are always welcome, repeat
customers are common and the community matters.
By Deborah Cassell • Photos By Rine Photographics
E
ven in rush hour traffic, drivers cruising down Dempster
Street would be hard-pressed
to miss Illinois Nut & Candy,
Home of Fantasia Confections, in Skokie. Ill. Located in a small strip
mall on the south side of the busy roadway,
the retailer’s eye-catching storefront jumps
out at passers-by. Candy cane-striped columns support a peppermint awning, which
is further complemented by murals of giftwrapped chocolate boxes on either side.
It looks good enough to eat.
Some have tried, according to store
The Áoorspace at
Illinois Nut & Candy
is dedicated to
kosher confections.
owner David Levine. In fact, children
who’ve no doubt seen too much of “Charlie
and the Chocolate Factory” have been
known to lick the columns in hopes of a
sweet taste.
Inside (where kids are treated to actual,
edible lollipops), the store is even more
mouth-watering. Illinois Nut & Candy pays
homage to the obvious … and the unique.
Behind the checkout counter lie rows of
bulk candy bins containing everything
from rock crystals in brightly hued strawberry, orange, lemon, lime, cherry and mint
flavors to mixed nuts, including cashews,
almonds, pecans and a variety of peanuts.
In front of the counter sit display cases
full of Fantasia Confections. They include
neatly filled trays of dried fruit and nuts
dipped in chocolate as well as chocolate
bark, chocolate-nut clusters, peppermint
patties and truffles ranging from pomeContinued on page RC16
Illinois Nut & Candy
Home of Fantasia Confections
3745 W. Dempster
Skokie, Ill. 60076
Phone: 1-847-677-5777
www.raisingthecandybar.com
www.retailconfectioner.com
July 2009 RETAIL CONFECTIONER RC15
Retailer ProÀle
Continued from page RC15
Freebie Fun
Display cases at Illinois
Nut & Candy feature
Fantasia Confections,
including handmade
trufÁes, chocolate bark,
and chocolate-dipped
fruit and nuts.
The Àrst customer to put a quarter in
the Wowie Zowie gumball machine
at Illinois Nut & Candy and dance
along to the crazy music that follows
gets a free ice cream cone. Free
soft serve also goes to anyone willing to be videotaped while doing
that dance for the store’s YouTube
channel. The tradition started when
an employee, Courtney Bell (below),
decided to get down to the sweet
sounds of the Wowie Zowie while
dressed as an ice cream cone.
Check it out at www.youtube.com/
illinoisnutandcandy.
Custom-moulded chocolates
(above and right) are the calling
card of Illinois Nut & Candy.
granate- to amaretto-flavored, all of which
are made by chocolatiers in one of two
confectionery kitchens in back of the store.
So are the retailer’s top-selling taffy apples,
English toffee and chocolate-covered
pretzels.
“You won’t find a better non-dairy
English toffee in the world,” asserts David’s
wife, Melissa, who co-owns the business.
Then there are the chocolate-covered
kosher marshmallows and homemade
cookies, the latter made from old family
recipes. The retailer even produces its own
popcorn, including butter, caramel and
kettle varieties, in numerous colorations.
“You name the color, we’ve done it,”
David states.
The confections don’t stop there. Nearby, vertical displays feature hanging bags
of Jelly Bellys, Ferrara Pan products and
Eda’s sugar-free hard candies, among other
RC16 RETAIL CONFECTIONER July 2009
branded items, while a Pucker Powder
machine allows visitors to conjure up their
own sour-flavored mixes. Organic offerings
such as Pure Fun cotton candy and Yummy
Earth lollipops also have a place here.
So do baking supplies, including halfpound bags of chips in chocolate, white
chocolate, peanut butter, butterscotch
and cinnamon flavors, as well as sprinkles,
among other pre-packaged items.
But wait. There’s more.
Breaking the Mould
When it comes to chocolate, Illinois Nut &
Candy has a true forte: custom moulds.
Near the entrance to the store stand
tall glass cases full of custom chocolate
creations, in every shape imaginable: Eiffel
Towers, cars, basketballs, teeth, clowns,
bears, houses, toy soldiers, Easter baskets,
cats, shoes, hearts, champagne bottles, you
name it. The store even produces chocolate dreidels and menorahs — appropriate
offerings given Skokie’s extensive Jewish
population.
Corporate clients often turn to Illinois
Nut & Candy for items such as these. For
example, the retailer once produced chocolate handicap doorbells for a company that
specializes in helping businesses become
more accessible to the disabled. It’s made
chocolate “pests” for an exterminator,
chocolate glasses and eye charts for an
optical shop, and chocolate Hummers for
a car dealership — “unique items that help
our customers brand themselves and, in
turn, us,” David says.
Continued on page RC18
www.retailconfectioner.com
DARK VELVET
A as in Aflame
Dark Velvet is a collection of delicate truffles, full of warmth and pleasure.
Both truffles are coated with dark chocolate, but beneath the tempting
layer, they each hold a little flaming secret of their own. The first is a
piquant mixture of nut truffle, Remy Martin Fine Champagne Cognac,
plum juice and a twist of chilli. And the second is an exquisite combination
of white chocolate filling, Piper-Heidsieck Champagne and a squeeze of
fresh grape. Which of the two secrets are you going to reveal first?
www.anthonberg.com
Retailer ProÀle
Continued from page RC16
“My goal is to make everyone look
good,” he continues. “Whatever you say
you want, we’ll make happen. The answer’s
never ‘No.’”
One thing David always keeps in mind
is budget. He never tries to up-sell someone, Melissa notes, so customers don’t
feel like they’ve been taken advantage of.
If anything, he “tries to stretch your dollar
further,” she adds, “especially now, when
people are cutting back.”
Locals also rely upon the retailer
for moulded chocolates, whether it’s a
bride-to-be interested in chocolate place
cards or a shower-giver seeking chocolate baby bottles.
If it does not already own the mould a
customer wants, then Illinois Nut & Candy
will buy it. And if the shop thinks it can use
the mould again, there’s no charge. As a
result, the retailer has collected thousands
of them.
“My staff jokes that we’re going to have
to buy a separate warehouse just for the
moulds,” David says.
Illinois Nut & Candy breaks the mould
in other ways, as well.
“We’re always trying something new
‘Raising the Candy Bar’
U.S. consumers looking to keep their confections kosher need look no further
than www.raisingthecandybar.com, where they can purchase the majority of
Illinois Nut & Candy’s products.
Kosher confections aren’t the
only niched offerings available
online. There’s also sugar-, gluten-,
casein-, egg-, nut-, corn-, food
dye- and lactose-free items as well
as organic products. Shoppers can
search “Special Occasions” for gifts
appropriate for holidays, including
Jewish ones such as Rosh Hashanah,
Purim, Passover/Pesach and Isaeli
Independence Day. Additionally,
the Web site categorizes products by
color (from pink to gold) and Áavor
(from acai to whiskey) for even more
speciÀc needs.
Although “it’s hard to quantify,”
says store owner David Levine, the Internet accounts for about 4.5% of Illinois Nut &
Candy’s annual sales. That said, many people Ànd the retailer online before coming
in or calling, he explains. Customers have hailed from as far as Hawaii and Alaska.
One Christmas, the retailer hit all 50 states by working with a national company.
These are just a few of the ways in which Illinois Nut & Candy is “Raising the
Candy Bar.”
Product offerings
at Illinois Nut &
Candy range from
organic cotton
candy to handmade,
chocolate-covered
kosher marshmallows.
RC18 RETAIL CONFECTIONER July 2009
and innovative,” David says.
Case in point: It recently introduced soft
serve ice cream, as a sign up front boasts.
Cones cost $1.75 for a small and $2.75 for
a large, and come in chocolate, vanilla and
chocolate-vanilla swirl. Customers also can
order sundaes and thick shakes called Razzles. Meanwhile, ice cream cakes, another
new offering, can be custom-decorated.
Custom creations are an important
part of the mix at Illinois Nut & Candy. For
example, shoppers looking to thank a friend
or even say they’re sorry can do so with
chocolates stamped with meaningful messages. The store also features birthday cakeshaped chocolates with numbers on them.
The retailer recognizes that people
often shop by occasion. For example, a
corporate client once came in looking
for ice blue mints for use at a trade show
… and found them. And a customer in
Beverly Hills recently ordered red, white
and blue chocolates and candies for the
Fourth of July.
“One of the things we’re big on around
www.retailconfectioner.com
here is color,” David says.
To that end, the retailer even colorcodes its selections for easy navigation.
Milk chocolates are wrapped in silver.
Lactose-free/kosher parve chocolates
come in gold boxes. Candy made with
dairy is labeled in blue. Lactose-free/
kosher parve candy is dressed in pink.
Kosher Confections
Partly because they themselves keep
kosher, David and Melissa always are
interested in lactose-free finds. Even before
they purchased the store, formerly known
as Illinois Nut Outlet/Fantasia Confections,
back in 2004, it was a kosher establishment.
The Levines have since expanded on that
theme. (Where else can you find kosher
parve gummy sharks from Israel?)
Melissa, who was employed by Illinois Nut Outlet in high school, handles
new products and marketing ideas
(“the creative stuff,” as David says). She
works from home, where she also looks
after their one-month-old daughter,
Joan, and four-year-old son, Nate (who
calls himself “chief chocolate pretzel
taster”). Melissa searches events such
as the ALL CANDY EXPO and one or two
gift shows per year as well as the Internet for new innovations, particularly
kosher ones, which are easier to find
now that manufacturers understand
they’re not that difficult to produce.
(Contrary to popular belief, David
notes, a rabbi doesn’t have to bless the
candy; it simply has to be made from
certified kosher ingredients.) Plus,
“there’s a market for it,” Melissa notes.
Meanwhile, “I live here,” David
jokes, indicating the amount of time
he spends on Dempster. A former IT
specialist/project developer and “dot
com refugee,” David has found that
those same skills can be applied to a
candy environment. Today, he manages
two full-time and two part-time kitchen
staffers, two full-time and four parttime employees up front, and up to 15
seasonal employees.
“We’re one big team,” David says.
“We’re gonna succeed together. We’re
gonna fail together.” To that end, David
teaches his workers valuable lessons,
like how to treat people.
www.retailconfectioner.com
Workers at Illinois Nut & Candy are
taught by store owner David Levine to
“go that extra mile” for customers.
Service with a Smile
“Customer service is important,” David
asserts. But smiling and being polite aren’t
enough. You have to “go that extra mile,”
he adds, “to keep them coming back” for
more. For example, frequent shoppers
often are greeted by name.
“It’s all about relationships,” agrees
Melissa.
Giving back is another key aspect of
customer service for Illinois Nut & Candy.
It recently held a blood drive for LifeSource. Participants were rewarded with
free ice cream. It also has partnered with
Skokie Public Library, giving free ice cream
to young readers.
The retailer also keeps its regular
customers informed of promotions
via a monthly e-newsletter. “Regulars”
range from parents looking to send their
children camp care packages to kids
spending their allowances on sweet treats
to babysitters in need of an afternoon
activity.
Ideally, the store’s target audience is,
as Melissa says, “Somebody who’s going
to come back.” And Illinois Nut & Candy
does its best to make that happen.
“I want it to be a fun, happy place,”
David summarizes. “It’s all about the sweet
experience.”
No wonder David thinks of himself as
Willy Wonka.
That explains those candy cane columns.
Careful, kids. They’re not real. But what’s
inside the store more than makes up for that.
Making
Candy Rain
When the Make a Wish Foundation
approached Illinois Nut & Candy
about making a little boy’s dream
come true, store owner David Levine
didn’t hesitate to lend a hand.
Five-year-old Carter Kettner, who
was diagnosed with terminal brain
cancer and returning from a long
hospital stay, had one wish: “I want
it to rain gumballs and for there to
be no real food in the world, just
candy.” The retailer donated a case
and half of gumballs, which Carter’s
family turned into candy rain.
“The Sunday he came home was
absolute magic,” Levine says. “He
stepped outside onto his porch, and
there was his wish come true — tons
of gumballs falling from the sky. …
The look of surprise and delight on his
face was just priceless. It was pure
joy for everyone involved.”
See it for yourself at www.you
tube.com/illinoisnutandcandy.
July 2009 RETAIL CONFECTIONER RC19
REVIEW
Sweets, Snacks
& Sales Tools
Topical educational seminars, innovative
merchandising and display solutions, and
creative new exhibitors were among the
highlights of the 2009 ALL CANDY EXPO.
Educational Seminars
On Display
Retail Marketing Matters
Merchandising Means
Now, more than ever, marketing makes a difference at retail. Just
ask speakers from the 2009 ALL CANDY EXPO educational session:
“Retail Merchandising in a Rapidly Changing Environment.”
Retail is the new media, according to experts George Wishart
and Steve Frenda. Because traditional print is “under pressure,” the
ads they provide are becoming less effective at driving consumers
to purchase products, noted Wishart, global managing director,
Nielsen In-Store. As a result, manufacturers and retailers must turn
to new technologies to reach consumers.
For example, although “the coupon is back,” Wishart said, an
increasing number of consumers are getting their coupons online.
Retailers such as CVS, Walgreens and Rite-Aid post coupons to
their Web sites for downloading. Meanwhile, Kroger has teamed up
with a company called Cell Fire that enables the store’s 40 million
frequent shopper card carriers to add coupons to their cards to be
swiped at the checkout for discounts.
Coupon usage was up 10% for the fourth quarter of 2008 and
17% for the first quarter of this year, said Frenda, managing director, strategy and development, In-Store Marketing Institute. And
89% of shoppers anticipate using coupons in the future as part of
their “path to purchase,” which includes pre-planning for shopping
trips by making lists, he added.
In order to get their products on those shopping lists in the future, marketers also must turn their attention to other technological advancements such as mobile devices. In today’s world, “we’re
all connected,” Wishart said. For example, consumers ages 13-17
send 2,500 text messages per month, on average, while new moms
use social media to keep up with friends. The industry must find
ways to reach consumers through these mediums.
Back in stores, digital signage is another area of interest for
retailers, but “buyers beware,” Wishart warned. “No one’s figured it
out yet.” Once manufacturers work out the kinks, sight, sound and
motion targeted at consumers in “real-time” could be huge. In the
meantime, “good old-fashioned displays will drive your business.”
Recognizing that in these recessionary times, retailers need new
ways to increase sales and drive the growth of confectionery products, the National Confectioners Association (NCA) provided 2009
ALL CANDY EXPO attendees with useful tools in this area.
Exhibitors in The Retail Merchandising Solutions Center
consisted of manufacturers of displays for confectionery retailers.
Among them was Midway Display, a maker of custom and stock
displays and accessories that are built largely from recycled materials and can easily be broken down for shipping. The company’s
latest innovation is its patented Clipper display, which is fully collapsible, helping clients to save on freight, space and materials.
In-aisle architecture, including signage and shelving, is a focus
for Display Source Alliance, which works and shares booth space
with Alliance, a division of Rock-Tenn. DSA featured colorful in-
RC20 RETAIL CONFECTIONER July 2009
www.retailconfectioner.com
store solutions for gum and mints, movie
candy and snacks, as well as a Premium
Chocolates display currently being used by
a leading retailer.
Meanwhile, Trion Industries showcased
versatile ways of merchandising candy and
snacks through back-loading and adjustable-width displays, which increase facings, reduce stocking labor and create less
shrink. Retailers who use the new racking
system should see 20-30% in sales growth,
the exhibitor noted, adding that the “profit
center” pays for itself in just three months.
Other Solutions Center participants
included CCW Products, Labels & Decals
International, Professional Image Printing
and Packaging, Trade Fixtures and Union
Street Tin Co.
The Magic of Merchandising Display
Gallery offers an even more visual look
at point-of-purchase, including permanent floor displays, counter displays and
shippers featuring brands ranging from
M&M’S Chocolate Candies to Toblerone
to Jelly Belly to Dove to Pretzel Crisps to
Toxic Waste. One display that stood out
was for Hammond’s Candies, which
showcased oversized candy canes inside
rows of metal buckets. Another display
combined Nabisco Honey Maid Honey
Grahams, Hershey’s Milk Chocolate and
Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallows, encouraging shoppers to make s’mores. Meanwhile,
a four-sided seasonal display for Russell
Stover featured fancy foil-wrapped boxes
of chocolates in a red-and-gold theme for
the December holidays. Another eyecatcher was Quench Gum’s two-ft.-tall,
water bottle-shaped dispenser.
The ALL CANDY EXPO will return to
Chicago’s McCormick Place West, May
25-27, 2010, with a new name: Sweets &
Snacks EXPO. For more information, visit
www.sweetsandsnacksexpo.com.
www.retailconfectioner.com
Exhibitors
New iin TTown
N
The following were among the new exhibitors at the 2009 ALL CANDY EXPO.
Abdallah Candies
Agros Trading Confectionery Sp. z o.o.
Almost Nuts
AmuseMints, LLC
Astor Chocolate Corp.
Brent & Sam’s Cookies
BRIGHTSPOT BRANDS, LLC (Gimme, above)
BRONCOLIN
Brothers-All-Natural
Cary’s of Oregon
CCW Products, Inc.
Chocmod USA
Classic Foods
Classy Candy Co.
CocoBon Chocolatier
Corazonas Foods, Inc.
Crunchco Snacks, LLC
Das Foods, LLC (Das Lollipops, above)
Dispensa-Matic Label Dispensers
Dulces Karla
DURUKAN Confectionery
Evans Food Group
FRITOS TOTIS SA DE CV
Galler Chocolatiers SA
Galmopan/Robert Krum & Assoc.
Get Silly Ice Cream (above)
Global Confectionery Source
Go Fast Gum Company
Golden Gate Nut Co.
Golden Road Foods
H.K. Anderson
Harry and David
Holland Agencies FZ, LLC
Independent Can Co.
Indianola Pecan House
Jensen Candy Co.
JING JIH JEN FOOD(ZHANGZHOU)CO., Ltd.
JJP&R International, Inc.
Jonny Almond Nut Co.
JOYTECH KOREA
Karma Candy
Kraft Foods International
Labels & Decals International
LaboGroup (LeWhif, above)
Lambertz USA
Lim Kum Kee Foodstuff Co., Ltd.
MAC MA
Mars Retail Group
McSteven’s, Inc.
Midway Displays, Inc.
MNC Stribbons
MNT Trading, Inc.
Mobile Merchandiser
Mrs. May’s Naturals
Nonni’s Food Co.
Nostalgic Specialty Food Products, LLC
OhYeah!
Old Time Confections
OPTO International, Inc.
Orange Blossom Fudge
ORION SWEETS CANADA, Inc.
Oskri Organics
Overseas Food Trading Ltd.
Pakright
Preferred Popcorn, LLC
PROARGEX
Professional Image Printing and
Packaging
Project 7
Reuther Flexibles America
SANCHEZ CANO, S.A.
SB Global Foods, Inc.
Simply Scrumptious Confections, Inc.
Store Brands Group
Strawberry Hill Confectionery
Sweets in Bloom
Tecnica Mexicana de Alimentacion
The Great American Pretzel Co.
The Painted Pretzel
The Real Magic Potion Co.
The Revere Group
TinPax Corporation
Tinwerks Packaging Co.
Trion Industries
TruSweets, LLC
Truth Worldwide, LLC
Twang Partners, LTD.
Union Street Tin Co.
VitaminMints, LLC
Wallace Designs Group, LLC
Western Smokehouse
Wisconsin Sausage Co.
Xgrindz
Yohay Baking Co.
Yupi North America
July 2009 RETAIL CONFECTIONER RC21
REVIEW
Snapshots
As seen on the show floor …
RC22 RETAIL CONFECTIONER July 2009
www.retailconfectioner.com
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