Business steady, sweet for Fox Valley confection shops
The candy business is considered a “mature industry.”
That maturity — coming from centuries of marketing experience — allows candy retailers to avoid major dips in sluggish economies.
For local candy and chocolate stores, that means customers still come in to buy their favorite treats even while they’re disappointed because they can’t upgrade to an HDTV or trade in their car.
“It is, to me, an affordable luxury,” said Liz Garvey, co-owner of Wilmar Chocolates on Appleton’s north side. “It’s like a mini vacation.”
When the chips are down, customers look for little ways to boost their spirits or to share a treat with those around them, said Steve Vande Walle, co-owner of Vande Walle’s Candies near Fox River Mall in Grand Chute.
“As far as candy goes, they typically don’t cut back when the economy goes down,” Vande Walle said of his customers. “If anything, they might reward themselves and their families a little bit more.”
Nationally, the industry is incredibly stable, according to Susan Fussell, spokeswoman for the National Confectioners Association, which counts MARS Snackfood, Godiva Chocolatier Inc. and Tootsie Roll Industries among its members.
Retail sales reached $29 billion in 2007 and increase reliably by about 1 percent to 3 percent each year.
“We don’t normally see huge spikes and huge declines,” Fussell said. “Candy is just a big part of our culture.”
