Category Archives: Vending Candy

Vending Candy tips and trends from ACandyStore.com, the largest online bulk candy store.

Genius Types Lays out the Bulk Candy Vending Biz

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Ever think of how much money those little candy vending machines at the car wash make? …the ones with the gumballs or Mike & Ikes in them. Like a lot of people, you probably either thought they are making peanuts or killing themselves filling up vending machines all over the city every day. You would be wrong! They make amazing margins and the service is nothing.

candy vending tips

Ok, the service isn’t nothing, but it’s crazy minimal. Brain Lee from GeniusTypes lays it down the bulk candy vending biz for you in amazing detail. He goes through step by step what it took him to set up his own bulk candy vending business. He lays out:

• The ah-hah moment he had that convinced him to get started
• which types of candies you can get the best margins for
• how to build your client base of stores and business locations to place your vending machines, and
• cracks jokes about how he could take ”6 weeks vacation” (!!) if he wanted and his candy business wouldn’t miss a beat.

When I read his article on GeniusTypes, I had to agree with every word. We hear from our customers all the time about how much freedom and independence (and money!) they’ve gained from starting their own bulk candy business. All it takes is a good plan (which Brain has provided for you, thanks B!), and a little motivation to get started. He’s got that part covered too.

Here’s a little snippet of his article to get your juices flowing:

“The startup costs are extremely low, the return on investment is fantastic, and the amount of maintenance required to sustain a consistent cashflow is so low, I consider it passive income. Plus, everyone loves the candy man!”

Can’t argue with that logic, Brian.

So, get going and earn yourself some extra money, some more free time, and a little extra love from everyone you meet when you tell them you’re the candy man! …or sugar momma, for you ladies!

What concerns would you have about starting a bulk candy vending business?

GeniusTypes

Candy Bar

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Gooey, crunchy or chewy everybody loves a candy bar and everyone has a favorite. Candy bars epitomize indulgence and fun and maybe that is why even as adults, we continue to play with different ideas about candy bars. For example some industrious people have gotten together to create the worlds largest bar which weighed in at 5 tons or nearly 10 000 pounds. And the the town ate it!

candy bar

Other interesting candy bar facts and trivia:

  • Frank and Ethel Mars introduced the Snickers bar in 1929. They named it after the family horse.
  • The Snickers Marathon bar is designed to be a cross between a candy bar and an energy bar. It is fortified with vitamins and minerals.
  • The most valuable chocolate bar in the world is a 100-year old Cadbury’s chocolate bar worth $680 dollars
  • The most chocolate bars eaten in one minute is shared at three and was achieved by Pat Bertoletti and Joey Chestnut in San Diego, California, on 22 July 2010
  • The largest chocolate bar mosaic is 101.29 ft2 made with 700 bars of Green & Black’s chocolate by Sir Peter Blake in on 16 November 2009.

 

Different types of candy bars

It seems a lot of people are finding some pretty creative reasons to eat candy bars. It’s not surprising; there are over 120 different types of candy bar for sale in the world today.  That may seem like a lot but not when you consider that at the start of the 20th century there were literally thousands of bars being made by small companies.
Most of those small suppliers have since been purchased by the larger companies we know and love. The favorite candy bars of the smaller companies were usually retained and the rest foregone in favor of the most popular candy bars.

Shipping Candy

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Shipping candy is an art that requires wholesalers to have very specific methods in place in order to ensure that bulk candy shipments find their destinations in the same state they left the warehouse. In extreme temperatures this is not always an easy feat. Both candy wholesalers and retailers could tell stories of entire shipments that have melted, molded or faded into unrecognizable globs of goo. Candy is also heavy and so the cost of shipping over any distance will often run into ridiculously high amounts. Most retailers will look for a company that offers flat rate shipping to ameliorate that problem, even when special packaging for temperature is required.

That’s why retailers appreciate candy companies who spend the time and expense required to ship candy that always arrives as fresh and perfect as it was when it left the shop floor. Often this effort will garner customer loyalty even when competition is fierce in the industry. That’s because most retailers know that building a reliable relationship with a consistently competent candy wholesaler is not easy. It is a time consuming process, often encumbered with many trials and errors before the right company is found.

To achieve freshness that survives the delivery process it is imperative for candy wholesalers to streamline processes to ensure that candy is stored for a very short period, and that it is kept at the correct temperatures through every step of the candy shipping process. On hot days that will mean the candy wholesaler will have to take the time to pack the candy and or chocolate on ice and to ensure that warehouse temperatures are kept moderate. That kind of attention to detail isn’t something every candy wholesaler is willing to offer so, when you find one that will, they’re worth their weight in gold – or should I say sugar.

Candy and Chocolate History Timeline

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Candy and chocolate have been around for a long time, perhaps longer than you think.  The National Confectioners Association maintains a timeline of notable events in the world of candy and chocolate. You may be surprised at the age of some of your favorite habits – like chewing gum.

Pre-1800s

Evidence of gum chewing dates back to prehistoric times when people chewed on tree resin for pleasure and to freshen breath.

2000 years ago in equatorial Central America the Mayan Indians used cocoa in food and drink and Mayan writings refer to cacao as “food of the gods.”

Recorded history traces several types of candy back to the Egyptians 3,500 years ago. Boiled candies were popularized in 17th century Europe.

1800s

1893 William Wrigley, Jr. introduces Juicy Fruit gum and Wrigley’s Spearmint gum.

1896 Tootsie Rolls debut; introduced by Leo Hirshfield of New York who named them after his daughter’s nickname, “Tootsie”.

1900s

1900 Milton S. Hershey of Lancaster, PA introduces the first Hershey milk chocolate bar.

1902 Necco makes the first conversation hearts – tiny Valentine’s Day favorites with messages printed on them.

1910s

1912 Life Savers, the candy named for its ring shape with the hole in the center is introduced in peppermint flavor. It would be 22 years before the popular five-flavor roll is introduced.

1913 Goo Goo Clusters, a Southern favorite, is the first bar to combine milk chocolate, caramel, marshmallow and peanuts.

1920s

1920 The Baby Ruth candy bar is first sold; named for President Grover Cleveland’s daughter – not the famous baseball player.

1922 Hans Riegel invents a chewy candy called the “dancing bear”. Later this confection became known as gummi bears.

1930s

1930 M&M/Mars introduces the Snickers Bar, named for a favorite horse owned by the Mars family. It is the number-one selling candy bar in the U.S. today.

1932 Red Hots are made by Ferrara Pan Candy Company. These fiery little candy pellets are flavored with cinnamon.

1940s

1941 M&M’s Plain Chocolate Candies are introduced in response to slack chocolate sales in summer. Fifty-nine years later, M&M/Mars changed the name of this popular candy item to M&M’s Milk Chocolate Candies.

1942-1945 Women working on the Whitman’s Sampler production line secretly slipped notes to soldiers in those boxes destined for military shipment. The notes resulted in several long-term friendships and even a few marriages.

1950s

1954 Marshmallow Peeps are introduced by Just Born, Inc. in the shape of Easter chicks. Today, Peeps come in a variety of seasonal shapes and more than 2 million Peeps are made each day.

1954 Atomic Fireballs are introduced by Ferrara Pan Candy Company.

1960s

1960 M&M/Mars Starburst Fruit Chews are introduced and later fortified with 50 percent of the daily value for Vitamin C.

1963 SweeTarts, the candy pellets with the original sweet and tart flavor combination, are introduced.

1970s

1976 Introduced by Herman Goelitz Candy Company, Jelly Belly Jelly Beans offer consumers fun and unique flavors in a tiny jelly bean.

1979 TWIX Caramel Cookie Bars introduced in the U.S. by M&M/MARS

1980s

1980 Goelitz introduces the first American-made gummy bears and gummy worms. Formerly, these candies were imported from Europe.

1981 A European favorite since 1974, SKITTLES Bite Size Candies are introduced in the U.S. by M&M/MARS

1990s

1994 STARBURST Jellybeans introduced by M&M/MARS

1998 Holopops become the first hologram lollipops introduced by Light Vision Confections. The design on their etched surface appears to change as you move the pop.

Cyclone Yasi Wipes out 10% of World Sugar Supply

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Cyclone Yasi swept across Eastern Australia with winds and rain of a force that surpassed even Katrina. Miraculously not a single death occurred and three babies were even born in the shelters during the storm; with full medical care and clean facilities, which just goes to show that Mother Nature is as glorious as she can be brutal.

While the people of Australia fared well their crops did not and the banana and sugar crops of Australia were particularly hard hit. For candy makers and retailers that means that 10% of the world’s sugar supply is gone. Almost one third of Australia’s sugarcane is grown in the region between Cairns and Townsville, where Yasi came ashore.

The cyclone which spanned a diameter of 310 miles blew 186mph an hour winds, dumped torrential rain and ripped sugar crops from the roots destroying 15% of the countries crops and damaging up to 50% of crops. Australia is the world’s third largest raw sugar exporter. Consequently global sugar prices have jetted up by 4%, the highest level in 37 years.

While the ramifications of the drastic price rise won’t be felt immediately in wholesale and retail candy sectors, it is possible that future prices will be impacted. Retailers at store level would be well advised to ensure stock supplies for the upcoming spring and summer are in place ahead of any potential rises. There is also the possibility that sugar supplies could be increased from other sources but it is not likely the Australian sugar market will recover quickly, and without other supplier countries pre-prepared to meet the increased need, it is very likely there will be at least a temporary but significant future increase in the price of all sugar based products.

Candy – not Candy

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So you thought that maybe candy was just a sweet, tasty, confectionary treat, desert and briber of small children?  Wrong! Candy, perhaps because of the allusion to the sweet confectionary treats we all love, has been the favored name of everything from cars to cologne. Candy in literature, film and music has been used in titles and lyrics perhaps more than any other item that comes to mind. Consider for instance the number of books and novels called candy:

Candy (novel), a 1958 novel by Terry Southern and Mason Hoffenberg

Candy (Kevin Brooks novel), a 2005 novel by Kevin Brooks

Candy: A Novel of Love and Addiction, a 1998 novel by Australian writer Luke Davies

Candy Candy, a Japanese shojo manga and anime

Candy (manga), a Japanese yaoi manga

Candy (magazine), a Filipino periodical

Or the bands:

Candy (band), mid-1980′s American power-pop band

Candy (Malaysian band), a Malaysian all-female rock band

Candy 66, a Venezuelan alternative metal band

The Candy Band, an American punk-rock group for children

Candies (group), a Japanese vocal group

Candi & The Backbeat, a Canadian pop band

Songs by far outweigh any other kind of candy name use, apart from confectionary candy of course! Check out this impressive list.

“Candy” (1944 song), popularized by Johnny Mercer and Jo Stafford

“Candy” (Aggro Santos song), featuring ex-Pussycat Doll Kimberly Wyatt

“Candy” (Ash song)

“Candy” (Cameo song)

“Candy” (H.O.T. song)

“Candy” (Iggy Pop song), with Kate Pierson; covered by Killer Barbies

“Candy” (Ken Hirai song)

“Candy” (Koda Kumi song)

“Candy” (LL Cool J song)

“Candy” (Mandy Moore song)

“Candy” (Paolo Nutini song)

“Candy (Drippin’ Like Water)”, by Snoop Dogg

“Candy”/”Molly’s Lips”, a split single by The Fluid and Nirvana

“Candy”, by Bikini Kill from Revolution Girl Style Now!

“Candy”, by Enon from Hocus Pocus

“Candy”, by Foxy Brown from Broken Silence

“Candy”, by Luv Unlimited, featured on DDRMAX Dance Dance Revolution 6thMix and 7thMIX

“Candy”, by Morphine from Cure for Pain

“Candy”, by The Presidents of the United States of America from The Presidents of the United States of America

“Candy”, by Will Smith from Big Willie Style

“Candy-O” (song), by The Cars

“CANDY♥”, by Riyu Kosaka from begin

“Hard Candy” by Madonna

Candy characters also abound in the world of entertainment which include such notables as DJ Candy, a character in the video game MySims; Candy (Dave The Barbarian), a fictional character in the American animated television series titled, Dave The Barbarian; Candy Smiles, a character from Cory in the House and finally, Candy, a character from Of Mice and Men.

And speaking of film, let us not forget the great candy movies like Candy (1968), a film based on the Southern and Hoffenberg novel and Candy (2006), a film based on the Davies novel of the same name. Candy Lane created in 2003 is a short film made in New Zealand that is filled with candy color and candy names. The world of books and entertainment is full of candy named media and characters and that’s because candy is a universal symbol of fun, flavor and frivolity.

Candy Bar Controversy

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A man is suing the Toronto Santa Claus Parade after he was hit in the eye by a candy bar. The miniature chocolate candy bar was allegedly thrown into the crowd by a volunteer clown where it hit the man in his eye causing pain and permanent partial blindness. Despite the Canadian social safety net which would provide health care for any injuries sustained as well as unemployment insurance for loss of work, the man says the parade owes him $500,000.

The candy bar lawsuit was launched because the man claims that the clown should not have been engaging in an activity (throwing candy bars to kids) that they knew, or ought to have known, posed a danger to spectators. The candy bar claim also specifies that reasonable care should have been taken to ensure that spectators along the parade route were safe.

While there is no doubt of a general sense of sympathy for the man hit with the candy bar, the lawsuit is controversial because it calls into question the lengths required to ensure public safety at public events. There are certainly no other cases of candy bar maiming at Santa Claus parades in recent memory which begs the question, is an isolated incident involving one man and one candy bar, sufficient reason to end years of tradition? That is the possible consequence of the candy bar claim. If the parade which runs to a tight budget as it is, is required to compensate half a million dollars there is a good chance it will not survive.

Realistically it isn’t possible to anticipate every conceivable freak accident that can occur at an event, nor should that be reasonably expected. Apart from practical care by parade organizers, one might arguably suggest that the duty of self care must rest with individuals. If an accident does occur, well accidents do happen. The alternative is to be so wrapped in cotton wool that we will have to watch future parades from behind a Plexiglas wall.  The poor clown who threw the candy bar!

Hard Candy Fitness

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Well it has finally been done and by Madonna no less! The music superstar has combined fitness with pleasure, in her newly introduced and now open to the public, Hard Candy Fitness Center. Madonna is a well known fitness fanatic, of course she is – how else do you look that good in your 50s.  The first Hard Candy Fitness Center was opened in Mexico City (in the exclusive area of Bosques de las Lomas) on Monday by the Diva herself who cut the ribbon and opened the doors in front of throngs of fans. Not sure if they were keen to exercise or just get a look at the mega star – I suspect the latter? For a special few there was the opportunity to enjoy both the fitness and the star, as Madonna herself led the first aerobics class.

The Mexico sight is one of 10 international sights on the drawing board including American based locations. Once the Mexico fitness center has been operating for a time; all systems have been tested and excellent system and standard levels have been achieved, the other sights will then go live as well. Madonna herself had a big influence in every aspect of the gym from the design to the music and class choreography. She has created, she hopes, routines and themes which will be fun, motivational and inspirational. The gym itself wants for nothing. It is a massive 30,000 square feet and equipped with every device needed by even the most demanding gym junkie.

When asked about how she determined the name for her fitness centers, which is also the name of her 11th album (Hard Candy) she explained that she liked combining the concepts of hard body with eye candy, hence Hard Candy. She is quoted as saying, “It’s a sexy name that gives you the opportunity to have fun and to build strength as far as the imagination will allow.” Well, we love it!

The “Lost” Finale’s Big Unanswered Question: How to Get Vending Machine Candy!!!

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We have noticed that one of the biggest candy-related topics on Twitter has to do with the “Lost” finale and that amazing scene where Sawyer unplugs the vending machine in order to get his stuck candy. We at ACandyStore.com also want to know the truth: If candy in a vending machine becomes stuck, is unplugging and re-plugging the machine the fix?

To unplug or not to unplug?

We have also heard the rumor that opening the door at the bottom of the machine will cause air in the case to move around and free the loose candy. But is there ever really that much suction to create air movement?

As bulk candy vendors, we feel like we should be experts in all things candy! Help us out, friends and followers! What are your tips for rescuing dangling candy treats? Please share!