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Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Create Countertop Displays with Fishbowl Containers

Countertop displays of add-on merchandise like candy, convenience items, and travel-sized hygiene products are essential for any store with a countertop. And, if your business has a countertop, you have a need for fishbowl container displays!

If you operate any of the following kinds of businesses, consider learning more about using fishbowl containers to create a countertop display:
  • A convenience store or gas station.
  • A small local grocery store or a large national chain super center.
  • A bakery, yogurt shop, or ice cream parlor.
  • A toy store.
  • A bookstore.
  • A hobby shop.
Fishbowl Containers Offer Versatility

Like traditional round or square display containers, fishbowls offer a great amount of versatility. Fishbowl containers:
  • Are available in glass or plastic form, which means you can choose the best material for your store’s environment. Plastic fishbowls are more durable and therefore ideal for fast-paced stores with a lot of traffic, while glass fishbowls are a bit more elegant and offer extra visual appeal for more upscale businesses.
  • Come in a variety of sizes, so you can select the perfect fishbowl for the kind of merchandise you want to display as well as the amount of countertop space you have to work with.
  • Are ideal as stand-alone display tools or for paring with other display tools like wire display racks designed for countertop displays. Choose small containers to create a candy display on modest countertop space, large fishbowls for bigger merchandise items on ample countertop space, or make the most of your countertop space by stacking several fishbowls on a wire display rack or two.
Imagine Candy Displays Using Fishbowl Containers

Fishbowl containers are the perfect display tools for a wide variety of candies. You can use fishbowls to organize and display:
  • Suckers and lollipops.
  • Individual pieces of bubblegum or small packs of chewing gum.
  • Small pieces of traditional kinds of hard candies in flavors like butterscotch, peppermint, strawberry, grape, lemon, or cherry.
  • Fun candies like Jawbreakers, Tootsie Rolls, Jolly Ranchers, Laffy Taffy, Smarties.
Keep in mind that most fishbowls don’t come with lids, so it’s best to choose candies for your countertop fishbowl display that are complete with protective wrappers, such as wrapped candies purchased in bulk at wholesale prices.

Showcase Other Add-On Items with Fishbowl Containers


Unless you operate a candy store, chances are high that your business sells more than just candy or other small edible items. Good news – you can use fishbowl containers to display virtually any kind of merchandise small enough to fit inside them!


Depending on the kind of store you manage, consider these ideas:
  • Use your fishbowls to display souvenir items such as small figurines bearing your state’s name or related logo for travelers or sentimental residents.
  • Fill these containers with convenience items in high demand like matchbooks, lighters, eyeglass repair kits, all-in-one pocket tools, or travel-sized sewing kits.
  • Display travel-sized hygiene products like small bottles of shampoo, conditioner, soap, toothpaste, lotion, and deodorant.

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Saturday, June 20, 2009

Ordering Wholesale Bulk Candies for Your Candy Store

If you operate a candy store or are planning on opening a candy store, chances are high that you’re in the market for wholesale bulk candies. But how do you get started? Where do you begin?

Below are several of the most popular kinds of bulk candies you can find at wholesale prices. Consider your candy store and the kinds of customers you expect to do business with as you select the best candies for your business.

Wrapped and Unwrapped Candies

When ordering wholesale bulk candies for your candy store, you’ll find that wrapped candies and unwrapped candies offer the widest variety of selections. You can find these candies in traditional popular types like gumballs, Jolly Ranchers, Skittles, M&Ms, and Jawbreakers, or more novelty or specialty types like saltwater taffy.

You have a variety of choices when it comes to displaying your bulk wrapped and unwrapped candies. Colored acrylic bins and clear plastic containers positioned on wire display racks throughout your store or on your countertop are convenient ways to display your candy for your customers. You can even situate the containers as stand-alone countertop displays without the racks.

Keep in mind that if you’re display bulk unwrapped candies, you need a little extra protection to keep them fresh and safe from debris. Make sure you look at containers with lids as well as pair aluminum or plastic scoops with the displays.

Gourmet Candies

Some children do enjoy candies like chocolate-covered peanuts and pretzels, but if your store does most of its business with a mature customer base, gourmet candies are definitely the way to go. Chocolate-covered coffee and espresso beans, for example, aren’t the best choices for kids; many adults, however, love them!

You can display your bulk wholesale gourmet candies in many of the same ways you’d display more traditional candies; however, because these candies are gourmet, you might want to consider trading the plastic containers in for glass jars, and – depending on the style of your store – switching wire display racks for stylish wooden baskets and shelves.

Pre-Filled Candy Displays

Is your store just starting out? Or, do you not have enough time to create your own candy displays? Maybe you should think about pre-filled candy displays.

Pre-filled candy displays are available stocked with a wide variety of candies and styles perfect for every kind of business. Consider these popular pre-filled candy display options:
  • Gumball Machines: Gumball machines are classic pre-filled candy displays and ideal for every business from convenience stores and grocery stores to gift shops and bookstores; naturally, they’re perfect for candy stores! You can find these machines designed to stand on your floor or sit on your countertop, and they’re available with as few as one head and as many as eight heads. Gumball machines are also available in a wide variety of styles. For example, you can find them in fun designs like rocket ships and with clear stands so your customers can see their gumballs whizzing down to meet them!
  • Lollipop Displays: Lollipop displays generally come in “tree” designs for floor displays or plastic or cardboard containers for countertop displays. You can find these displays pre-filled with an assortment of lollipops or suckers, and once they’re empty you can refill them with new suckers or reuse the containers for an entirely different purpose.

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Saturday, June 6, 2009

Choosing Candy for Countertop Displays

Candy is one of the most common items included in countertop displays. There’s plenty to choose from, so it’s easy for storeowners to choose a selection that will please their customers, and it’s popular among a wide variety of customers, which means you’re just as likely to please a shopping grandmother as you are to please the grandson she’s with.

As a business owner, maybe you’ve already decided what kind of candy your store will sell, as well as the kind of candy you’re going to display on your countertop; however, if you need some help, consider these two factors: the kinds of customers your store will attract and the countertop space you have to work with.

Consider Your Customers


Because they cater to a wide variety of customers, retail businesses like convenience stores and grocery stores tend to include just as wide a variety of candies in their countertop displays. For example,
bulk wrapped candies like Laffy Taffy, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Starlight Mints, Jolly Ranchers, and Atomic Fireballs tend to satisfy the masses, as do bulk unwrapped candies like Mike & Ike, Good & Plenty, Hot Tamales, Jelly Beans, Skittles, M&Ms, Runts, and Sprees.

However, if your business deals with a more mature demographic, you might want to consider candies like
European-Style Gold Label Chocolates and Rich’s Gourmet Chocolates. These kinds of candies work well to make your countertop displays more appealing for customers who’ve outgrown the days of Jawbreakers and Tootsie Rolls. While they’re popular in convenience stores and grocery stores, they’re also well received in more formal restaurant settings and hotels.

Consider the Size of Your Countertop

Countertop displays that feature candy require
containers to organize, store, and showcase that candy. You have many options to choose from including colored and clear plastic containers, food grade plastic containers, and glass jars. The kind of containers you choose will depend on the kind of candy you sell as well as the overall environment of your convenience store.

If you have ample countertop space to work with, you can display several different kinds of candies using numerous medium-sized or small candy containers or a few large candy containers. You might want to situate your candy bins atop countertop racks, or you might want to get creative and play with the positions of the containers to form your own display.

However, if your store’s countertop isn’t very large, you’ll probably need to use small glass or plastic containers; you might also be able to situate one or two large candy containers on your countertop. Keep in mind that countertop display racks work well to make the most of the space you have to work with.


Also remember that if you opt to include unwrapped candies in your countertop display, you should store them in glass or plastic containers with lids and make sure your customers have access to aluminum or plastic scoops. The lids help keep the candy fresh and clean, and the scoop makes it possible for your customers to easily dig out the amount of candy they want without contaminating the rest of it.

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Thursday, June 4, 2009

Thinking of Selling Bulk Candies in Your Store?

If you’re not thinking of ordering bulk candies for your store, you certainly should be! Candy is a popular food item among nearly every kind of retail business – even those that don’t typically sell food.
  • Convenience stores and gas stations can set up countertop displays of candy, situate gumball machines near their stores’ entryways, and use c-store racks to display candy throughout their stores.
  • Restaurants can create candy displays on their countertops near their registers so their customers can purchase gum, breath mints, or pieces of hard candy before they leave.
  • Hotels and motels can offer candy to their patrons in their deli or snack areas, as well as their more formal dining areas. Some hotels even opt to place gumball machines throughout high traffic areas of the building such as hallways and near conference rooms and lounge areas.
There are so many different kinds of candies on the market, which means you’re able to easily offer your customers a wide variety of candies to choose from. Plus, when you buy bulk candy at wholesale prices, you’re helping your business save money and making sure your store stays stocked with your customers’ favorite kinds of candy!

Bulk Wrapped Candies Offer Many Countertop Display Options


Wrapped candies lend themselves to a great deal of flexibility when it comes to displaying them throughout your store. Wrappers protect the candies, so you don’t have to worry about choosing plastic containers with lids or scoops; this usually means you have more freedom to play around with the sizes and shapes of your display containers, as well as where you situate them.

Look for
popular bulk wrapped candies at wholesale prices such as:
  • Jolly Ranchers
  • Bit-O-Honey
  • Tootsie Roll Midgees
  • Atomic Fireballs
  • Smarties Rolls
  • Lemonheads
  • Jawbreakers
  • Laffy Taffy
Add Bulk Unwrapped Candies To Your List

Unwrapped candies are great for gumball machines, but you can also create countertop displays using food grade plastic containers with lids and plastic or aluminum scoops. Containers with lids help protect the candy from dust and other debris, while the scoops provide a sanitary way for your customers to access the candy.


You can find
a variety of bulk unwrapped candies at wholesale prices, including:
  • Good & Plenty
  • M&Ms
  • Hot Tamales
  • Jelly Beans
  • Runts
  • Skittles
  • Sprees
  • Mike & Ike
Save Money Buying Bulk Candies at Wholesale Prices

Saving money is something everyone – including business owners – strives to do during these tough economic times, and saving money is one of the best benefits of ordering bulk candies at true wholesale prices.


Be careful not to place your bulk candy order with the first vendor you run across. Although many companies claim to offer bulk quantities of candy at wholesale prices, a little research quickly shows that the prices these companies are quoting are significantly higher than true wholesale prices. Be sure to shop around and compare the prices of several different vendors before placing your order.

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Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Countertop Displays: Consider Bulk Candy Wholesale

Countertop displays are staples in many retail settings. For businesses like convenience stores, grocery stores, and even some restaurants, countertop displays often consist of wrapped and unwrapped candies purchased in bulk at wholesale prices.

Ideas for Countertop Displays of Bulk Unwrapped Candies


If you plan to store and display your unwrapped candies using a countertop display, there are two tools you should become familiar with: gumball machines and food grade plastic containers.

You don’t have to use gumball machines strictly for gumballs; these machines can hold an assortment of small, unwrapped candies. Many gumball machines are attached to tall stands, but you can also find smaller, standless gumball machines that are perfect for sitting on convenience store countertops.

Food grade plastic containers come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Lids designed for the customer to screw or snap on and off, or lids designed to stay attached to the containers with hinges, help keep the candies protected from contamination, and plastic or aluminum scoops make it easy for each customer to get the exact amount of candy he wants without touching the rest of it.

Ideas for Countertop Displays of Bulk Wrapped Candies

When it comes to creating countertop displays of bulk wrapped candies, traditional acrylic and plastic containers are very durable and glass candy jars add an elegant charm to your display. Consider the following factors as you decide how to create your countertop display of bulk candies:
  • Countertop Space: The number and size of the candy containers you use depends on how much countertop space you have to work with. Regardless of the size of your countertop, you might consider using countertop racks to hold your containers. Small versions of convenience store racks, or c-store racks, help you make the most of the space you have and include even more candies in your display.
  • Store Traffic: If your store is quite busy, plastic or acrylic containers will work best. They’re durable and less likely to break or cause harm to anyone if a customer accidentally knocks them off the counter. If your store has a slower pace, or your displays are located in a place where they’re less likely to experience passing traffic, you might want to use glass candy containers.
  • Store Theme: You can find acrylic and plastic containers in a variety of shapes and colors to add pizzazz to your countertop theme! If your store has a more muted atmosphere, glass containers are a stylish solution for holding and displaying your bulk wrapped candies.
You can find containers with lids if you want to help protect the candy from theft or if you like the visual appeal some candy bins with lids provide, but because these candies are wrapped, the lids aren’t necessary as far as protection from contamination is concerned.

Buying Bulk Candy Wholesale Helps You Save Money


Aside from helping you create attractive countertop displays and making sure your store is always stocked with your customers favorite items, buying candy at bulk wholesale prices helps you save money.

Wholesale prices are less expensive than retail prices, and when you buy in bulk your getting more candy than you would if you spent the same amount of money on candy set at retail prices. Plus, buying in bulk means you won’t have to order as much candy as you would if you purchased smaller quantities.

Before you place an order for bulk candies, make sure you shop around and compare prices. Some companies might claim to offer bulk wholesale prices but actually charge higher prices than what is considered “wholesale.”

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Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Why Should Convenience Stores Buy in Bulk?

Convenience stores and the majority of other retail businesses benefit greatly from ordering bulk wholesale merchandise.

Bulk wholesale prices are generally less expensive than any other ordering method. Storeowners can order nearly any kind of merchandise they need in bulk, and this option also allows them to make sure their stores stay well stocked with their customers’ favorite items. Plus, ordering merchandise in bulk at wholesale prices also minimizes the amount of packaging the storeowners – and the environment – has to deal with.


Bulk Items Wholesale Are Perfect for Convenience Stores

There are so many different kinds of items you can order in bulk at wholesale prices, but especially of interest for convenience stores and other retail settings is bulk candy.


Retail businesses can order
bulk wrapped candies and showcase them in countertop displays with clear plastic containers or colored acrylic bins, or put them in containers on convenience store racks or wooden basket displays designed to situate anywhere throughout the store. They can also order bulk unwrapped candies, such as gumballs and other small kinds of candies, to display in places like gumball machines.

Bulk Wholesale Prices Are Ideal for Retail Businesses


Simply put, you save money when you order your store’s wholesale items in bulk. Bulk wholesale prices are generally set to offer the storeowner a bargain. Plus, when you order bulk merchandise, you’re ordering a large quantity but you’re also order fewer times than you would be if you ordered in small quantities. This means you’re spending money at fewer intervals.


Ordering in Bulk Ensures Your Store Is Well Stocked


Retail settings – especially convenience stores – are generally pretty busy, and sometimes it’s difficult to find the time to set aside a time to take stock of what merchandise you need to replace – not to mention find the time to sit down and order it!


When you order bulk wholesale merchandise, you’re making sure of two things:
  • Your store is always well stocked with best-selling items. In other words, your store is always packed with your customers’ favorite merchandise, and you never have to leave them disappointed!
  • Your ordering dates will become fewer and farther between. Because you will have plenty of your customers’ favorite items, you won’t have to order as often as you would if you originally ordered small quantities.
Buy Bulk Wholesale Products Minimizes Packaging

When you buy candy wholesale in bulk, you have less plastic wrappers, bags, and containers to deal with. This is a big timesaver for you because you have less trash to worry about disposing or trying to figure out how to reuse. Of course, Mother Nature is happy anytime you can cut down on the amount of trash you’re creating.


And, remember: If you do find yourself with extra packaging, try to find a way to reuse it. For example, if your bulk products arrive in plastic containers, you can use those as storage containers in your store’s stockroom. If the containers are in good shape, you can use them to create countertop displays near your store’s register!

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Bulk Wrapped Candies: Essential for Any Retail Business

Because they’re small, available in an assortment of brands, and wrappers protect them from the elements, bulk wrapped candies are ideal for virtually every kind of retail business. Consider these ideas:
  • Convenience stores can create a number of different kinds of displays for wrapped candies.
  • Grocery stores often display these kinds of candies along their checkout aisles.
  • Gas stations can create small countertop displays near their registers for wrapped candies. Restaurants, like gas stations, can create small displays of wrapped candies by their registers.
  • Hotels often have snack bars and dining areas, which lend themselves to wrapped candy displays.
  • Amusement and theme parks, as well as carnivals and fairs, can display wrapped candies in small bins at venues throughout the entire park.
What Kinds of Bulk Wrapped Candies Are Available?

Retail business can order virtually every kind of wrapped candy that’s available in bulk! This wide assortment of candies makes it easy to add variety to your candy displays as well as offer something for all of your customers.

You can find wrapped candies in bulk such as:
  • Atomic Fireballs
  • Lemonheads
  • Jawbreakers
  • Laffy Taffy
  • Smarties Rolls
  • Root Beer Barrels
  • Starlight Mints
  • Sunkist Fruit Gems
  • Tootsie Roll Midgees
  • Jolly Ranchers
  • Bit-O-Honey
  • Sour Lemons
  • Squirrel Nut Zippers
If you already know what kind of candies your customers prefer, those are the kinds of candies you should order in bulk; however, if you’re not sure which candies will be popular and which ones won’t, consider order small quantities of several different kinds of candies. Once the candies have been available in your store for a significant amount of time, you will then be able to determine which ones your customers prefer and you can order those wrapped candies in bulk.

Where Can You Display Bulk Wrapped Candies in Your Store?

Due largely to the fact that wrappers protect these candies from dust and debris, you can display them in so many places throughout your store! Consider these options:
  • Countertop Displays: These displays are perfect, no matter how big or small your countertop is. You can use clear plastic containers for these displays, which make it easier for your customers to see the candies they want, or you can use colored acrylic containers that add extra visual appeal to your display.
  • Floor Displays: These displays are ideal for stores that have plenty of space to work with. You can situate floor displays near your countertop and register or throughout your store near aisles, deli areas, or fountain drink machines. If you opt to display your wrapped candies in floor displays situated near your store’s entryway, though, make sure you have a clear view of the displays to help prevent theft.
  • Wooden Basket Displays: Like plastic container displays, wooden basket displays are extremely versatile. You can use two or three wooden baskets to create your own stand-alone countertop display, or you can display your candies in wooden basket racks.

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