Monthly Archives: December 2021

We all joke that since chocolate is made from plants, it’s salad which = not indulgent, but did you know that for a long time chocolate was touted and as medicine? While we don’t recommend tearing through your medicine chest and switching out everything for chocolate bars, little bits of trivia like this could be the remedy to attracting new customers during the slower months post holidays.

Everyone loves feeling like they’re “in the know,” having knowledge about something their friends and family do not. That’s why trivia nights and trivia apps are so popular! Knowing fun, obscure facts about chocolate not only positions your business the fun place to be, but you and your staff as knowledgeable in the products you sell. As part of your marketing activities, consider posing a weekly trivia question that visitors can answer in store, or via email in hopes of winning a discount on a product or, a free sample of a product you’re trying to promote. OR for something simpler, incorporate

Agritourism destinations are cropping up everywhere and interest continues to grow, as more tourists opt for seclusion and fresh air over crowded tourist traps. It’s so popular, agritourism is expected to expand by $4.33 billion between now and 2025 (Smartbrief). What exactly is agritourism or agritainment? Agritainment/Agritourism includes anything from an all-inclusive “farm stay”, to corn mazes, to you pick farms, to wineries, to mazes in flower fields or corn fields, to farm stands, and even local plant nurseries. Even with the shift to rustic and rural destinations, tourists still expect similar amenities they’d find at a traditional tourist spot – including gift shops stocked with goodies to bring home. Keep your shop fully stocked and nurture your profits with candy and specialty foods to sell alongside your fresh produce or homemade baked goods.

With beautiful locales and scenic views, your selection shouldn’t be the standard fare found at any box store checkout. Think

Home baking continues to heat up, with 2020 baking ingredient sales totaling $26.5 billion, and shows like “The Great British Baking Show” are topping everyone’s watch list (Prepared Foods). Inspired by baking shows, or simply more time at home, consumers want to up their baking game. So much so, they’re purchasing baking kits from some major players like cupcake bakery, Sprinkles, and celebrity baker Duff Goldman (Bake Magazine). But kitting shouldn’t be reserved for major chains. Baking kits are a terrific (and easy) way to get creative with your bulk candy assortment and increase sales post holidays, or any time of year.

No expert baker on staff? No problem! It doesn’t take much to transform cupcakes from plain Jane to social media sensation. See our fun suggestions to get those creative juices ‘doughing’.

Clean is the word that’s on everyone’s lips. And it isn’t reserved for merely clean environments. They’re looking for clean labels too! In this case “clean” refers to a product’s ingredients. Here, simpler is better with 66% of consumers saying they’re looking for labels with the shortest ingredients list and 64% saying they try to eat foods with clean ingredients (Institute of Food Technologists).

Even during their search for clean and natural, consumers are not ready to give up the comforting snacks they love. That means your business has the potential to really clean up by including traditional snacks with clean ingredients in your selection.

No need to start researching clean and all natural brands. We’ll share some of our favorites with you!