Confectionery store


A confectionery store or confectionery shop is a store that sells confectionery, whose intended targeted marketing audiences are children and adolescents. Most confectionery stores are filled with an assortment of sweets far larger than a grocer or convenience store could accommodate. They frequently provide a variety of international sweets and retro delicacies. Very often unchanged in layout since their inception, confectioneries are known for their warming and nostalgic feel, specifically one that brings back childhood memories.

History

Akisato Ritō's Miyako meisho zue from 1787 describes a confectionery store in Kyoto, situated near the Great Buddha erected by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, then one of the town's most important tourist attractions.
In 1917, there were 55 confectionery shops in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, which had a population of 70,000 people.
Guinness World Records has recognized a shop in the village of Pateley Bridge, North Yorkshire, England, as the oldest continuously operating sweet shop in the world. The Oldest Sweet Shop in the World was founded in 1827.

Modern confectionery stores

Dedicated confectionery stores are popular in many countries, but their numbers per capita vary widely within the country and among the countries. Confectionery stores contribute to higher candy and sugar consumption around the world. In Sweden, confectionery stores are the key reason the nation leads the world in candy consumption. In 2024 there were over 23 thousand stores across the United States, with Vermont specifically being called "The Candy Capital" with 12.2 confectionery stores per 100,000 residents.
2023 was a record sales year for candies and chocolates in the United States, with a survey showing that 98% of consumers bought candy that year.
There are many well-known confectionery stores. Some of these include the M&M's World stores which houses locations across the world in countries like New York City, London, and Shanghai. The London M&M's World is the largest confectionery store in the whole world at 35,000 square feet across 4 floors.

Products