‘Like a kid in a candy store’ has long been the go-to phrase for expressing excitement and happiness. Carrie Lajoie, who manages The Candy Store in downtown Sudbury, gets to see this joy every day.
“I never have any grumpy customers,” says Carrie, reflecting on her day-to-day life at the only vintage candy store in town. The business sees customers of all ages, from little kids to seniors. Adult customers enjoy seeing candy from their youth; some forgotten and then remembered, and some that they’d thought didn’t exist anymore. Parents and grandparents alike bring in younger generations to show them the candy that they grew up enjoying.
“I think they like remembering their childhood,” says Carrie, who’s been told by many customers that visiting the store makes them feel like a kid again.
Some of the most vintage candy that The Candy Store sells are black liquorice babies, black balls, and Koo Koos, a Neapolitan-style taffy bar that’s a favourite of Carrie’s. Many of their products are imported from around the world. This means a huge selection of treats, from chocolate bars to lollipops, from new to old.
The store carries obscure products as well, such as Funny Money (edible paper money), unusual pop tart flavours like Boston cream and hot fudge sundae, and freeze-dried candies. One change from when the store opened in 2012 is that viral TikTok videos sometimes increase the popularity of certain treats.
The Candy Store also sells their hugely popular surprise bags, for customers who want to take a chance and explore new candies. The bags are popular with tourists and locals alike. Many excited customers visit from Thunder Bay, the Soo, and North Bay, and summertime brings an influx of visitors from further south. Christmas is a particularly busy time of year, as parents load up on stocking stuffers and everyone shops for a sweet gift for a loved one.
Carrie enjoys introducing customers to candies that they’ve never tried, even when there are mixed reactions. Some of the more divisive products that they sell include suckers with crickets and worms at the centre, extremely sour balls from the UK, and the infamous Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans from Harry Potter. If you’re familiar with the latter, you are aware of the range of jellybean flavours— from marshmallow and blueberry to soap and earwax.
For a dose of 80s nostalgia, The Candy Store will soon carry wax candies in a variety of shapes. Carrie does all of the buying for the business, and is always looking to bring in different and exciting treats that will pique their customers’ interests or bring back fond memories. The happiness of their visitors is what makes her job so special.
“It’s nice to see people smile and watch them have family time, be together, and try new things.”
For more information, visit The Candy Store’s Facebook and Instagram pages.