Archive for May, 2012

Wow, has this month flown by! One minute we were packing for the National Confectioners Association’s Sweets & Snacks Expo in Chicago, and the next, we were celebrating Memorial Day weekend! It’s been a busy month for us, with planning our move to our sparkling new (and much larger!) candy warehouse, debuting our new Candy By Decades section on our website, and of course – attending the Sweets & Snacks Expo in Chicago from May 8-10.

A whopping 570+ candy and snack companies exhibited their wares at the Sweets & Snacks Expo, debuting new candy and snack varieties that they hope will sell well this coming year. We came home with tons of tasty treats for our Blair Candy team to taste test and decide whether we should place them on our online candy store shelves. We were one of about 15,000 professionals in the candy industry to attend, and we had a wonderful time networking with candy companies and other candy and snack stores. We also reflected on the growth of the candy and snack industry through keynote sessions and learned some innovative marketing ideas to help us only grow.

Here’s a glimpse into the sweet life – at the Sweets and Snacks Expo 2012!

Keep a close eye on our online candy store shelves – we’re excited to be adding some of the fun new candy discovered at the Sweets & Snacks Expo!

One of our favorite quotes that always brings a smile to our faces here at Blair Candy is Sandra J. Dykes famous words: “Forget love – I’d rather fall in chocolate!” Yet, for those fortunate enough to be together after 10, 15, 25 – even 50 years of marriage, we say, why not fall in love with your partner – and with chocolate, all over again? Celebrating milestone wedding anniversaries is so special, and whether you’re surprising your loved one with a special day or you’re a friend or family member planning the festivities for that lovely couple in your life, celebrate the sweetness of love by having a sweets-filled anniversary party!

10^th / 15^th Wedding Anniversaries

The two of you grew up in the age of Teenage Mutant Turtles and Michael Jackson, so celebrate these milestone anniversary years with an echo of your youth with Candy From the 80s –Wonka Runts, Gummi Bears, and Nerds Rope. Tin is traditionally gifted on a 10^th anniversary, so fill a tin with your loved one’s favorite candy and treats. Celebrating a 15^th anniversary? Choose crystal, such as a pretty crystal figurine or necklace.

25^th Wedding Anniversary

Marriage may have its ups and downs, but after 25 years of marriage, you both know your life is as everlasting as our favorite gobstoppers! You both likely remember the 1970s pretty well, with 70s Candy like Ring Pops and Charms Blow Pops being pretty fond in your memories. Silver is traditionally given as a 25^th wedding anniversary gift, so choose a pretty silver box, and fill it with a Ring Pop. Then, propose to her all over again – in a fun, whimsical way that she won’t forget for the next 25 years!

35^th Wedding Anniversary

Did you and your love grow up in the time of popping a delish Rolo in your mouth while listening to The Beatles? Gifting Candy From the 60s is a neat way to celebrate a 35^th wedding anniversary. Coral is the traditional 35^th wedding anniversary gift, but we have a more scrumptious variation – gift coral, but with a bag of Swedish Fish included!

50^th Wedding Anniversary

Oscar Wilde wonderfully said “Who, being loved, is poor?”, which must explain why gifts of gold are typically given for a 50^th wedding anniversary! 50^th wedding anniversaries are major life achievements and should certainly be celebrated with friends and family. Set out a candy buffet that would rival any modern day candy buffet, with candy from when you both grew up, such as 50s Candy – One Hundred Grand Candy Bars, Hot Tamales, and Satellite Wafers!

Did you just celebrate a milestone wedding anniversary, or did a lovely couple in your life just celebrate one? Tell us how you celebrated it!

We’ve been making lots of candy-coated changes here at Blair Candy over the last few months, including moving soon into our brand new candy warehouse. We’ve just debuted another “new” – our Candy By Decades section on our website! We say with pride and affection that we’re pretty nuts about candy, and we’ve long been in wonderment on the different types of sweets that have blossomed from various decades over the last century. Doesn’t it just make sense that Fun Dip debuted in the same decade as when we needed a little “carefree” in our lives post-WWII?

We found ourselves chatting with many a customer on candy gift ideas, including offering up gift suggestions that relate to the gift recipient’s birth year or the decade they grew up in, so we figured, hey, why not make it easy and create a category of candy from each decade? A great birthday gift idea is to pair candy from the decade they were born or grew up in with a small gift that fits into that decade, as well! We put our heads together and came up with some awesome ideas for you:

• Candy From The 20s: Pair some Caramel Creams, Chiclets, and Clark Bars with Betty Boop memorabilia, a typewriter key bracelet, or a Babe Ruth figurine.
• Candy From The 30s: Combine delish Candy Buttons, PayDay bars, and Snickers with a so retro “tick tock” cat clock, Fedora hat, or a sleek cocktail shaker.
• Candy From The 40s: Wrap up Junior Mints, Bazooka bubble gum, and Fun Dip in a package with a vintage pin-up girl poster, WWII coin collection, and a pack of Coca-Cola in the original Coke “bottle” look.
• Candy From The 50s: Put a bow on a gift of Candy necklaces, Dum Dum lollipops, and Satellite Wafers by pairing it with a whimsical Gumby and Pokey set, Silly Putty, and a retro apron.
• Candy From The 60s: Reflect on one fun decade by combining a gift of Gummy Swedish Fish, Fruit Stripe Gum, and Twizzlers with a tie-dyed shirt, Beatles poster, and a space shuttle figurine.
• Candy From The 70s: Break that disco ball out and give a gift of PopRocks, Laffy Taffy, and Bubble Yum, along with a disco ball keychain, lava lamp, or anything with “groovy” written on it!
• Candy From The 80s: Celebrate this neon-hued decade with a gift of Gummy Bears, Runts, and Nerds, paired with a so-fun Atari video game, Pac-Man wind-up toys, and a Rubik’s cube.

These are just a few ideas that our sugar-filled team came up with – what are some Candy By Decade candy and gift pairings that you’ve gifted or would love to gift?

Ladies and gents, we’ve got the concession candy fundraising tips to make even Donald Trump proud. Sure, your concession candy stand may not rake in the millions, but if your goal is to raise money for the team or for a worthy cause, we know you certainly want to raise as many dollars as possible! We’ve supplied many a Little League team and school sports team with affordable concession candy – you know, Now and Later taffy, Swedish Gummy Fish, Tootsie Frooties – the works! We’ve got the experience and inside info on how you can ramp up concession candy sales.

#1: Market The Sports Game.

The first step to getting more candy sales is…getting more people to the game! Outside of parents and friends of the players, few people often know what the Little League or sports game schedule is – so how can they come buy your concession candy? Make posters advertising the team’s schedule and promoting the next game and ask the coach or players to get permission from the school to hang them around. Tell your co-workers, and ask the players to tell all their friends and families. The more people, the merrier – in fundraising!

#2: Can You Eat One Piece of Candy? They Can’t Either.

Eating just one scoop of Gummy Dolphins is pretty much impossible, right? Give each person who attends the game a raffle ticket that they can redeem for one piece or scoop of concession candy. It’s a great way to get them coming over to the stand, and chances are high that they’ll buy more.

#3: Explain What The Fundraiser Is For.

People typically feel more compelled to buy when they know their purchase is going towards a worthy cause. Post flyers around the candy stand explaining exactly what the money is going towards, and what it can help, buy, or do.

#4: Variety Is The Spice (And Sweet) Of Life.

Think outside the concession candy basics. Think Razzles, Pop Rocks, Cotton Candy Lollipops, and Sour Patch Kids for an added dash of variety to your concession stand!

#5: Make Your Concession Stand Mobile.

When you think of a major league ball game, chances are the call for “Peaaaanuttttsss” comes to mind. Add this same much-loved element to Little League and sports games by having trusted parents or school board members walk around with candy to sell. Simply place various candy varieties in a flat box, with tags noting their price. Gotta perfect that “Gummmmy Fishhhhh” call!

Good luck with your concession candy stand fundraising! As always, we do our best to keep our bulk concession candy affordable so you can get as much profit from your candy stand as possible. Do you have any tips for making your concession candy stand a homerun?