Equipment for Starting a Candy Store

If you’re thinking of opening a candy store, there are quite a few pieces of equipment you’ll need to display your candy in the most convenient, attractive, and effective ways.

Plastic Containers

If you really think about it, it might actually be impossible – or, at least, extremely difficult – to operate a candy store without plastic containers. From wrapped candies like Tootsie Rolls and Jawbreakers to unwrapped candies like gumballs and Lemon Drops, these containers are perfect for virtually every kind of candy.

Not only are plastic containers are quite durable, which makes them ideal for fast-paced stores that often have children as customers, but they’re also rather versatile. You can:

• Find clear plastic containers and colored acrylic containers to match your candy store’s décor and create attractive candy displays.

• Choose from an assortment of sizes to work best with the candy you want to sell and the space you have to work with.

• Add accessories like lids and candy scoops to keep your candy safe and clean.

• Refill your plastic containers with candy once they’re empty, or use them for an entirely different purpose like organizing merchandise in your stockroom or displaying non-edible items your candy store might also sell.

Glass Containers

Glass containers function in many of the same ways as plastic containers do. You can find them in a variety of shapes and sizes, and pair them with useful accessories like lids and scoops. 

However, when you compare glass candy containers with plastic ones, you’ll find two major differences:

• Glass containers are heavier and more easily broken, so they’re not always the best choices for candy stores that usually keep a regular stream of young children coming in and out of the store.
• Glass containers add an elegant charm that plastic containers can’t always achieve, so they’re great for displaying gourmet candies in more upscale establishments.

Display Racks

Unless you plan to display all your candy within plastic or glass containers situated on your store’s countertop, you’re going to need a few display racks.

Candy store display racks are available in numerous styles, shapes, and sizes, the most common and versatile of which include wire display racks and wooden display racks designed for either floor or countertop displays. Unsurprisingly, wooden display racks work best with wooden baskets, and you can use wire display racks to showcase bags of candy that are able to stand alone or fill plastic containers with pieces of candy and then arrange the containers on the wire rack’s shelves.

Pre-Filled Candy Displays

Pre-filled candy displays are great for candy stores that are just getting started as well as those that stay quite busy and can’t always find the time to restock their displays.

Look for pre-filled candy displays in the following forms:

• Gumball machines designed for floor displays or countertop displays with as few as one head or as many as eight heads. You can also find gumball machines filled with other kinds of loose, unwrapped candies like Skittles and M&Ms.
• Lollipop trees tall enough to display on your floor or compact enough to situate on your countertop.

• Candy filled display racks complete with traditional, novelty, or gourmet kinds of candies. You can find these racks small enough for your countertop, tall enough to act as floor displays, and large enough to essentially act as aisles in your candy store.