Are You Using the Right Candy Store Equipment?

You want to make sure you're using the best candy store equipment, whether you're displaying candy in an old-fashioned candy store or your everyday convenience store, gas station, or even toy store.

If you're not sure whether you're using the best candy display fixtures for your store, ask yourself the following questions. Keep in mind that if you haven't yet chosen your candy fixtures, these questions will help you make the best choice once it's time to order.

Question #1: Is your candy attractively displayed?

You’ve probably heard the phrase, “It’s all about presentation.” While it’s important that you’re selling candy your customers want to buy, it’s also important you’re displaying this candy in the most attractive way possible. In other words, candy containers in fun or convenient shapes are going to work better than just setting the candy on the counter in the same shipping box it arrived in, right?

Question #2: Is your candy conveniently displayed?

You might create the most attractive candy displays around, but they’re useless if your customers can’t conveniently access the candy. For example, you should make sure your racks rotate if they’re positioned in a tight spot, as well make sure your candy containers are positioned to high on a shelf or rack.

Question #3: Has your candy store equipment impaired your customers’ convenience?

This is especially important when it comes to choosing display racks of any variety. You must make sure your racks, tables, and other displays are positioned in such a way that your customers are able to both easily view the candy as well as move around them to another location in your store.

Question #4: Have you chosen the best candy store equipment for your store?

This question might seem a bit odd – as the point of this article is to help you determine whether you’re using the right equipment, after all – but, depending on the kind of store you have, there are certain kinds of candy store fixtures that are better suited than others.

For example, if you manage a store that sells candy, but isn’t in the business of selling ONLY candy, you might want to consider purchasing pre-filled candy displays such as gumball machines, lollipop trees, or even pre-filled bucket racks. You can find these display fixtures filled with popular and novelty candies sure to please your customers AND save you some time when it comes to setting up your displays!

Question #5: Is your candy store equipment safest for your store’s environment?

There are two factors you need to consider when determining whether your candy store fixtures are safe for your store’s environment:

1. Your store’s usual volume of traffic.
2. The rowdiness of your store’s usual customers.

If your store generally sees high volumes of traffic – or, even if your store doesn’t see high volumes of traffic but the traffic it does see usually consists of excited, hyper children – you want candy fixtures that will withstand any accidents such traffic can cause. To make sure you have these kinds of fixtures in place, consider these two tips:

1. Choose your containers wisely. Specifically, choose whether you use glass or plastic containers wisely.
2. Make sure your display stands – whether they be wire display racks, wicker basket displays, or wooden table displays – wisely. Make sure whatever kind of display stand you choose will hold up to customers bumping into them, leaning over them, or even trying to rotate them when they’re models not meant to be rotated.

5 Useful Pieces of Candy Store Equipment

It's important for every store owner - whether he manages an old-fashioned candy store or a regular gas station or convenience store - to become familiar with candy store equipment in order to make sure he stores and displays his candy products in the most attractive, convenient way possible.

Plastic and Glass Containers

Not all candy displays will require containers to hold the candy, but many will – especially those you plan to create using additional display fixtures like display racks and wooden tables (see below).

When it comes to choosing candy containers, your options are plentiful, and you can make your selection process easier when you think about the following factors:

• Material: The most common materials of candy containers are glass, plastic, and acrylic, though you can find wooden barrels and wicker baskets (see below). Choose the material that works best both with your store’s décor and the amount of traffic your store normally sees.
• Size: You can find candy containers in numerous sizes – from mini to large – which helps you create displays that work with the space you have allotted.
• Shape: Containers are available in everything from traditional round, square, hexagon, and “fish bowl” shapes to those in holiday-inspired shapes like Christmas trees and Santa Claus boots.
• Color: Clear is the most common “color” for candy containers, but many plastic and acrylic bins and even some glass jars are available in a variety of translucent colors.
• Accessories and Other Extras: If you plan to display unwrapped candies and candies that customers will need to pour out, look for containers with lids, handles, and handgrips as well as extras like plastic or aluminum scoops.

Display Racks

Think of “display racks” as an umbrella phrase for the numerous kinds of racks available for you to display your candy containers.

• Traditional convenience store racks with shelves.
• Neon pegboard racks that allow you to place your candy on shelves or hang it from pegs.
• Bucket display racks designed to hold buckets filled with your candy.

Note that you can find most kinds of candy display racks in rotating or fixed-position models, as well as racks that are designed specifically for floor or countertop displays.

Wooden Table Displays

Like display racks, wooden table displays are great choices for holding your plastic or glass candy containers. You can find wooden table displays with round or square shelves that wrap completely around the base and in varying shades of “wood” colors, such as maple and cherry.

Wooden Display Barrels and Wicker Basket Displays

Wooden display barrels and wicker basket displays are fantastic candy display fixtures for shop owners who want to add a bit of rustic charm to their merchandise displays. Take note that wooden barrels and wicker baskets work best with wrapped candies; there is nothing included with these candy store fixtures to keep unwrapped candies fresh and protected from dust and debris.

Pre-Filled Candy Displays

While they’re great pieces of candy store equipment for all stores, pre-filled candy displays are especially useful for retail stores and other businesses that don’t focus solely on selling candy. Gumball machines, lollipop trees, and bucket display racks pre-filled with popular and novelty candies are excellent choices for these businesses because they require so little work. Simply order the candy fixtures and set them up when they arrive!

How to Choose the Best Wire Candy Racks for Your Store

As a storeowner, you’re probably already well aware of how popular – and lucrative – candy products are. Chances are, you’re also well aware of how these items work well in almost every kind of retail business – from traditional candy stores to convenience stores, gas stations, grocery stores, toy stores, movie rental businesses, restaurants, and arcades.

In other words, you don’t have to operate a candy store to sell candy!

You do, however, have to choose the right candy display fixtures, and oftentimes this means using the same kinds of candy store fixtures the owner of a regular candy store would use. Aside from plastic, acrylic, and glass candy containers, the list of candy store equipment also includes wire candy racks.

Below are three tips to help you determine the kinds of wire candy racks would work best for your business’s individual needs.

Tip #1: Think about Your Store’s Environment

Thinking about your store’s environment is crucial for two reasons.

First, you need to think about how much display space you have to work with. Once you determine where you’re going to create your candy display, you must determine how much space that area allots you and then determine what sizes of wire candy racks will work best in that space.

Second, you need to think about the kinds of traffic your store regularly sees. For example, does your store normally see high volumes of traffic, or do customers wander in and out fairly slowly throughout the day? Understanding your store’s traffic will help you determine whether or not you’ve chosen the right display space as well as how sturdy your wire candy racks need to be.

Tip #2: Think about Your Candy Products

If you already know what kind of candy you want to sell – or, if you already have the candy you want to sell – you’ll want to choose the wire candy racks and any other display fixtures that will work best with that candy.

If you haven’t yet chosen what kind of candy you want to sell, you can think about both the candy and the wire racks at the same time. For example, as you’re looking at a candy distributor’s selection, once a certain kind of candy catches your eye, make sure you can find a wire rack that will work well to display that candy. Or, if you first find a wire rack that you like and want to use in your store, you can then choose candy products that will work best on those kinds of racks.

Tip #3: Think about Your Usual Customers

You might think you only need to consider your customers as you’re deciding which kinds of candy to sell, but you actually also need to think about your customers both as you’re selecting your display space and as you’re selecting the wire candy racks you want to use.

Considering your customers as you’re looking for wire candy racks is mostly for safety purposes. For example, if your customers are usually fairly rowdy (think of excited children eager to get their hands on your candy), you’re going to want to make sure you choose the sturdiest wire racks you can find.