Candy might not be so great for one's teeth, but it can be very healthy for a mall — when it is served up by Candytopia.
This is the sort of entertainment that consumers are coming to expect from their retail centers and stores, said Candytopia CEO John Goodman in an interview with James Cook, JLL’s director of retail research in the Americas and host of the Where We Buy series, as recorded during December’s ICSC New York Deal Making. Resembling a mobile Willy Wonka factory, Candytopia conducts tours for children and adults through a series of such experiences as a taffy tunnel, a marshmallow pit, a confetti room and an art gallery with pictures and sculptures made from candy.
Candytopia founders John Goodman, Jackie Sorkin and Zac Hartog
This traveling circus of retail-entertainment, which pops up for about four months at a time, has thus far appeared at Santa Monica (Calif.) Place and in New York City and San Francisco. It is headed next to the Buckhead area of Atlanta in February and to Mall of America, Bloomington, Minn., in March.
Visitors are invited to touch — and to eat — the artworks
“Candytopia is a magical place,” said Goodman. “It’s a one-of-a-kind for all ages, all demographics, and it’s just a candy wonderland. We like to call ourselves a mini theme park.”
The marshmallows aren't real
Adults pay $34 and children up to age 12 pay $26 for a 75-minute tour in groups of 50, during which they may sample and buy the goods. About 2,100 visitors come through daily. The sites opened so far have achieved sales of roughly $2,000 per square foot, according to Goodman, who was CEO of Wet Seal and of Charlotte Russe, among other retail posts he has held.
Candytopia seeks to enter major cities, Goodman says, and the ideal spaces will measure about 16,000 square feet.
By Edmund Mander
Director, Editor-In-Chief/SCT
