At Sweet Tooth we are winding down the Easter holiday season. It is good to report that people still value the Easter Basket for all ages, the Easter egg hunt, special goodies for Easter gifts....all those sorts of things which Sweet Tooth strives for every day of the year.
I really need to report on Duck with a Hat. For those who remember my affinity for "The Duck", I have to say that he has definitely made a come back this year. And one really sweet customer told me that she came into the store to buy "The Duck" because she read this blog and wanted to keep "The Duck" alive. As of today, we only have about 12 more Ducks. Is it possible that by the end of Saturday, all those Ducks will have found a home in someone's Easter basket? Ahhh, I really hope so! And move over Duck Dynasty!!!
This Easter we introduced Cake Pops from our friend Bernadette whose cookies and cake pops are absolutely delicious. Not only that...........the women who work in her bakery create the most exquisite designs on the cookies.
Sometimes in this biz, you learn only by doing and the Cake Pops have taught us a lesson or two. One thing about gravity and weight: Cake Pops are top heavy and need to be balanced in their tins by weight at the bottom of the tin. That was lesson #1 and between our staff and Bernadette, we have worked to conquer that problem.
Lesson #2: Bunny ears on Cake Pops are tricky. The ears need to be inserted into the cake with special thought about how well they will stand up and survive cellophane bags and cellophane wrap. I have to say that Sarah H. thought this problem through and came up with some answers to the bunny ear challenge.
Lesson #3: Bunny Cake Pops are numero uno with our customers! Followed by Cake Pop Eggs and finally, Cake Pop Chicks. I personally liked the chicks best, but you already know about my love of candy and chocolate "poultry".
So we are onto the next preparation. What is coming up? Jewelry Trunk Shows, Mother's Day and Graduation. Not to mention Wedding Season for our Candy Buffets. No time to rest in between. We are always a season ahead in retail.
Hippity Hopping Along!!
Friday, March 29, 2013
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Move Over Boomers...Fusion Flavors Are In!
Baby Boomers, your time is up with candy trends, according to the latest copy of Candy Industry magazine. The younguns' are taking over and seem to be more willing to sample new fusion flavors than their mommies and daddies and grands!
Although the classics --- mint, cherry, grape, lemon and orange -- will always be around, the new non-traditional flavors are getting stronger.
We have seen the Bacon candy become a real winner, but how about combinations like "blue honeysuckle berry (a combo between blueberry and blackberry) or pawpaw (mango and banana combo)? Or take a look at other morphed flavors like honey cinnamon, fennel seed and Greek Yogurt!!
It seems the confectionary industry is responding to a "healthier, more experimental" trend in candy and they now have a younger group of folks willing to give just about anything a try.
"Old School" confections, like peanut butter, hot chocolate and rhubarb are still around, but international influences are spicing up the U.S. confectionery market.
Sorry, kiddos, but all-natural flavors will not be taking over the future where companies will transition totally into that recipe. There is a demand for alternative approaches but at the same time, the unique flavor may not always be available from natural flavors.
The "artificial" side of making candy can put together every fantastical combination consumers want. While consumers want natural flavors, they are also demanding the exotic. And guess what? Americans are becoming more adventurous. They have ventured away from simply Milk Chocolate into the world of Dark Chocolate, spicy chocolate, interesting combinations of chocolate, etc. etc.
But as a Baby Boomer myself, I do remember the time when trying anything was a risk I was willing to take. If you could ask my Dad about "snails", oysters and buffalo steaks, he would have told you that his daughter had ventured over to the dark side.
Don't rule out us Baby Boomers, I say. Wasabi chocolate bars at Sweet Tooth tasted good to me.
Although the classics --- mint, cherry, grape, lemon and orange -- will always be around, the new non-traditional flavors are getting stronger.
We have seen the Bacon candy become a real winner, but how about combinations like "blue honeysuckle berry (a combo between blueberry and blackberry) or pawpaw (mango and banana combo)? Or take a look at other morphed flavors like honey cinnamon, fennel seed and Greek Yogurt!!
It seems the confectionary industry is responding to a "healthier, more experimental" trend in candy and they now have a younger group of folks willing to give just about anything a try.
"Old School" confections, like peanut butter, hot chocolate and rhubarb are still around, but international influences are spicing up the U.S. confectionery market.
Sorry, kiddos, but all-natural flavors will not be taking over the future where companies will transition totally into that recipe. There is a demand for alternative approaches but at the same time, the unique flavor may not always be available from natural flavors.
The "artificial" side of making candy can put together every fantastical combination consumers want. While consumers want natural flavors, they are also demanding the exotic. And guess what? Americans are becoming more adventurous. They have ventured away from simply Milk Chocolate into the world of Dark Chocolate, spicy chocolate, interesting combinations of chocolate, etc. etc.
But as a Baby Boomer myself, I do remember the time when trying anything was a risk I was willing to take. If you could ask my Dad about "snails", oysters and buffalo steaks, he would have told you that his daughter had ventured over to the dark side.
Don't rule out us Baby Boomers, I say. Wasabi chocolate bars at Sweet Tooth tasted good to me.
Monday, March 18, 2013
Why Sweet Tooth Isn't a Self Service Store
At our most recent staff meeting, we shared ideas about how we service our customers.
From the beginning, way back in 1992, we have never had a self-service store. Our jars of candy and our chocolates in the case have always required our staff to serve the customer.
Since 1992, many stores which sell candy have designed their shops for self-service and hired less staff. Fancy candy bins, signage, fun colors are all a part of the self-serve store. Self-service and less staff are ways of keeping overhead costs down.
Have you ever watched what happens in a self-service store? People serve themselves a "sample". Some people dispense the candy and then decide to put it back. There is a lot of touching and examining of candy. Little tykes put stuff in their mouths or walk around the store carrying candy which Mom and Dad don't purchase.
This sort of self-service gives our Sweet Tooth staff the "willies".
We imagine customers coming in after someone has been touching, squeezing, examining candy and buying that same package. Customers never know if someone has dispensed candy and then, after examining or even perhaps sampling it, they put it back in the bin, only to be dispensed by the next person.
Our staff also talked about temperature.
Many stores which sell candy do not keep the store's climate at a lower temperature. Why not? Well, candy is really just a side-line for those stores and the main merchandise does not require a temperature of 68-70 degrees, which candy does.
The enemy of candy is temperature, light, moisture and strong scents or odors.. Attempting to control these 4 "enemies" means that at Sweet Tooth, year around, the temperature in our candy section is no higher than 70 degrees. Candy can stay fresh for a long time if we keep its "enemies" at bay.
So when you visit our store in the winter, our low temperature doesn't really register with you. But in the summer, when no one wears coats and heavier clothes, many customers comment about how chilly it is in the store. We are accommodating the needs of our candy. Air conditioning is a year around electric bill for us.
We also don't allow strong scents or odors in our store. Chocolate absorbs odors like a sponge. Most people want their chocolate to taste like chocolate and not scented candles, perfumes or other odors
At Sweet Tooth, we do our best to accommodate customers' questions about candy. Does it contain gluten? Is it manufactured in a facility and on equipment which might also manufacture items with nuts? What is the carb count on this candy? What is the substitute for sugar in our Sugar Free candy?
We do our very best to answer these and other questions. We are best friends with our candy and if we are missing some information, we work to find the answers to those questions.
We are proud of our staff at Sweet Tooth. They know their stuff!! And as long as we are here, we will always be a store with the old-fashioned motto of serving our customers.
From the beginning, way back in 1992, we have never had a self-service store. Our jars of candy and our chocolates in the case have always required our staff to serve the customer.
Since 1992, many stores which sell candy have designed their shops for self-service and hired less staff. Fancy candy bins, signage, fun colors are all a part of the self-serve store. Self-service and less staff are ways of keeping overhead costs down.
Have you ever watched what happens in a self-service store? People serve themselves a "sample". Some people dispense the candy and then decide to put it back. There is a lot of touching and examining of candy. Little tykes put stuff in their mouths or walk around the store carrying candy which Mom and Dad don't purchase.
This sort of self-service gives our Sweet Tooth staff the "willies".
We imagine customers coming in after someone has been touching, squeezing, examining candy and buying that same package. Customers never know if someone has dispensed candy and then, after examining or even perhaps sampling it, they put it back in the bin, only to be dispensed by the next person.
Our staff also talked about temperature.
Many stores which sell candy do not keep the store's climate at a lower temperature. Why not? Well, candy is really just a side-line for those stores and the main merchandise does not require a temperature of 68-70 degrees, which candy does.
The enemy of candy is temperature, light, moisture and strong scents or odors.. Attempting to control these 4 "enemies" means that at Sweet Tooth, year around, the temperature in our candy section is no higher than 70 degrees. Candy can stay fresh for a long time if we keep its "enemies" at bay.
So when you visit our store in the winter, our low temperature doesn't really register with you. But in the summer, when no one wears coats and heavier clothes, many customers comment about how chilly it is in the store. We are accommodating the needs of our candy. Air conditioning is a year around electric bill for us.
We also don't allow strong scents or odors in our store. Chocolate absorbs odors like a sponge. Most people want their chocolate to taste like chocolate and not scented candles, perfumes or other odors
At Sweet Tooth, we do our best to accommodate customers' questions about candy. Does it contain gluten? Is it manufactured in a facility and on equipment which might also manufacture items with nuts? What is the carb count on this candy? What is the substitute for sugar in our Sugar Free candy?
We do our very best to answer these and other questions. We are best friends with our candy and if we are missing some information, we work to find the answers to those questions.
We are proud of our staff at Sweet Tooth. They know their stuff!! And as long as we are here, we will always be a store with the old-fashioned motto of serving our customers.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Easter Is Early This Year
As we say in the "retail biz", Easter is early this year.
What that really means is that Easter is in March and not in April. From a retailer's point of view, that means "early".
In years like 2013, the months of February and March are overloaded with special occasions. We start out with Valentine's Day (not to mention Mardi Gras) and then in a matter of 4 weeks we have St. Patrick's Day. You already know, if you are tuned into this blog, that St. Pat's is a BEER holiday. Even though Sweet Tooth doesn't sell BEER, the idea of celebrating another holiday so soon is contrary to the usual build up for special occasions.
Only 2 weeks after St.Pat's, we have Easter (and Passover, actually).
Our retail minds have been working on this situation for months, but non-retail folks are just waking up to the fact that there is another holiday around the corner.
Making the switch from reds and pinks, to greens, to pastels is a strange color chart. We simply aren't always ready to tackle this quick path of holiday after holiday.
And then there is the practice of observing Lent. Believe it or not, in my unofficial survey, giving up candy for Lent is one of the most popular rituals every year. We understand the practice and respect it, but why can't folks give up green beans or Oreo cookies or hamburgers?? Why does it always have to be candy?
And what about those folks who declare a "free day" and decide on that one day to indulge in the item which they have given up for Lent? The day picked for "free day" always seems to be on a Sunday when Sweet Tooth is closed!!
The countdown to Easter is happening now. There are eggs to color, Easter baskets to prepare, candy to buy, new outfits to purchase and a big dinner to prepare. There are religious services to attend and prayers to be said.
We expect a big rush of candy purchases to take place on the day after Easter.....Monday April 1..... for all those folks who gave up candy for Lent. But holy cow!! April 1 is April Fools Day!! Don't tease us, people....we are looking forward to seeing you at Sweet Tooth on that day.
What that really means is that Easter is in March and not in April. From a retailer's point of view, that means "early".
In years like 2013, the months of February and March are overloaded with special occasions. We start out with Valentine's Day (not to mention Mardi Gras) and then in a matter of 4 weeks we have St. Patrick's Day. You already know, if you are tuned into this blog, that St. Pat's is a BEER holiday. Even though Sweet Tooth doesn't sell BEER, the idea of celebrating another holiday so soon is contrary to the usual build up for special occasions.
Only 2 weeks after St.Pat's, we have Easter (and Passover, actually).
Our retail minds have been working on this situation for months, but non-retail folks are just waking up to the fact that there is another holiday around the corner.
Making the switch from reds and pinks, to greens, to pastels is a strange color chart. We simply aren't always ready to tackle this quick path of holiday after holiday.
And then there is the practice of observing Lent. Believe it or not, in my unofficial survey, giving up candy for Lent is one of the most popular rituals every year. We understand the practice and respect it, but why can't folks give up green beans or Oreo cookies or hamburgers?? Why does it always have to be candy?
And what about those folks who declare a "free day" and decide on that one day to indulge in the item which they have given up for Lent? The day picked for "free day" always seems to be on a Sunday when Sweet Tooth is closed!!
The countdown to Easter is happening now. There are eggs to color, Easter baskets to prepare, candy to buy, new outfits to purchase and a big dinner to prepare. There are religious services to attend and prayers to be said.
We expect a big rush of candy purchases to take place on the day after Easter.....Monday April 1..... for all those folks who gave up candy for Lent. But holy cow!! April 1 is April Fools Day!! Don't tease us, people....we are looking forward to seeing you at Sweet Tooth on that day.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
St. Patrick's Day is a Beer Holiday
Every year about this time we face a real dilemma: what to do for St. Patrick's day, March 17 which this year is on a Sunday.
I'm just saying: St. Patrick's Day is a Beer Holiday.
And now you know the dilemma. We are a CANDY and GIFT store, not a bar or even a restaurant with a bar or even a grocery store with a beer cooler.
So what to do when a customer wants a St. Pat gift? We don't even have beer flavored candy, although I have no doubt that it is out there.
We dig deep into our somewhat limited experience of St. Pat's day and come up with green candy, green candy bags, shamrocks on candy bags and of course, the ole Pot of Gold (chocolate foiled covered coins) as suggestions for a St. Pat's gift.
Some of the novelty stores do carry hats, bow ties, spinning and lighted lapel decorations, long twisted pipes, shamrock decorations and such....all for those who have parties on St. Pat's day or just want to show up all decked out for the holiday. I have to say that we have none of those items. The day comes and goes so quickly that for us it just doesn't make sense to stock up on novelties and decorations.
And I've had some really painful and disappointing experiences with Shamrock plants. I just don't have the luck of the Irish when it comes to keeping a healthy Shamrock around the house.
This year we are just preparing ourselves for the inevitable question: what do you have for St. Patrick's Day? We will show that customer our green chocolate sixlets, our green M & Ms, our green Jelly Bellys, our green Rock Candy, our green salt water taffy, our green Kiwi gummis....you get the picture....and hope that wonderful green candy can take the place of green beer!
I'm just saying: St. Patrick's Day is a Beer Holiday.
And now you know the dilemma. We are a CANDY and GIFT store, not a bar or even a restaurant with a bar or even a grocery store with a beer cooler.
So what to do when a customer wants a St. Pat gift? We don't even have beer flavored candy, although I have no doubt that it is out there.
We dig deep into our somewhat limited experience of St. Pat's day and come up with green candy, green candy bags, shamrocks on candy bags and of course, the ole Pot of Gold (chocolate foiled covered coins) as suggestions for a St. Pat's gift.
Some of the novelty stores do carry hats, bow ties, spinning and lighted lapel decorations, long twisted pipes, shamrock decorations and such....all for those who have parties on St. Pat's day or just want to show up all decked out for the holiday. I have to say that we have none of those items. The day comes and goes so quickly that for us it just doesn't make sense to stock up on novelties and decorations.
And I've had some really painful and disappointing experiences with Shamrock plants. I just don't have the luck of the Irish when it comes to keeping a healthy Shamrock around the house.
This year we are just preparing ourselves for the inevitable question: what do you have for St. Patrick's Day? We will show that customer our green chocolate sixlets, our green M & Ms, our green Jelly Bellys, our green Rock Candy, our green salt water taffy, our green Kiwi gummis....you get the picture....and hope that wonderful green candy can take the place of green beer!
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Mary Engelbreit, You are Back!!
When we purchased Sweet Tooth in 1992, the store was sort of a hodge podge of candy, cards and gourmet cookware. It was all rough hewn shelves, strangely understated and lodge-like. Since we never had any retail experience, we just went along with the "decor"...that is until I went to a college reunion in St. Louis and friends took me shopping at the converted train depot.
There I found Mary Engelbreit!! Well, not the person, but her glass-enclosed kiosk. I was immedately taken in by the colors in her art, the bemused quotes and sayings on her cards and some of her small framed drawings.
When I came back to Tulsa, I was determined to put Mary Engelbreit in our store. No other gift shop in Tulsa had discovered Mary and I felt confident that her gift items would really perk up our drab little shop.
Over the years, we became known as the "Mary Engelbreit" store....sometimes I thought that Mary's followers did not even know the name Sweet Tooth.
I could spot Mary's artwork, ceramic pieces, calendars, mugs, greeting cards, etc. from a distance. There was no denying that she had a special style and it was easily identifiable. Even other artists and manufacturers began copying some her style. You could find black and white checks, cherries, "flat" flowers creeping into other gift lines.
None could truly compete with Mary Engelbreit...she was an original and always ahead of those who tried to copy her style.
A number of years ago, Mary began to disappear from the Gift Market and her Tulsa fans, who so loved the black and white, the bright reds, the whimsey of her art, were disappointed. Sweet Tooth continued to search Mary out, but basically all that was left was her calendars and books. Even her original card line from Sunrise Greetings was turned over to another card company.
Well, Mary is coming back...or at least some of us hope so. Right Amy?? Today I just put out a new line of totes, iPad holders, placemats and laptop holders from a wonderful company called Suburban Silk. Gone are the cherries and the black, white and red. In their place is tangarine and olive green....but the fun and the whimsey of Mary Engelbreit is still alive.
That saying, "What goes around, comes around" may just be true. Or as Mary put it, "Wherever you go, there you are!" And Mary's art will brighten up any store and any home. Thank goodness for artists like Mary Engelbreit.
There I found Mary Engelbreit!! Well, not the person, but her glass-enclosed kiosk. I was immedately taken in by the colors in her art, the bemused quotes and sayings on her cards and some of her small framed drawings.
When I came back to Tulsa, I was determined to put Mary Engelbreit in our store. No other gift shop in Tulsa had discovered Mary and I felt confident that her gift items would really perk up our drab little shop.
Over the years, we became known as the "Mary Engelbreit" store....sometimes I thought that Mary's followers did not even know the name Sweet Tooth.
I could spot Mary's artwork, ceramic pieces, calendars, mugs, greeting cards, etc. from a distance. There was no denying that she had a special style and it was easily identifiable. Even other artists and manufacturers began copying some her style. You could find black and white checks, cherries, "flat" flowers creeping into other gift lines.
None could truly compete with Mary Engelbreit...she was an original and always ahead of those who tried to copy her style.
A number of years ago, Mary began to disappear from the Gift Market and her Tulsa fans, who so loved the black and white, the bright reds, the whimsey of her art, were disappointed. Sweet Tooth continued to search Mary out, but basically all that was left was her calendars and books. Even her original card line from Sunrise Greetings was turned over to another card company.
Well, Mary is coming back...or at least some of us hope so. Right Amy?? Today I just put out a new line of totes, iPad holders, placemats and laptop holders from a wonderful company called Suburban Silk. Gone are the cherries and the black, white and red. In their place is tangarine and olive green....but the fun and the whimsey of Mary Engelbreit is still alive.
That saying, "What goes around, comes around" may just be true. Or as Mary put it, "Wherever you go, there you are!" And Mary's art will brighten up any store and any home. Thank goodness for artists like Mary Engelbreit.
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