By Ellie Seta
<[email protected]>

Scooping candy into clear plastic boxes, sophomore Lauren Wiegand cheerfully arranges the candy on the shelves of The Simply Sweet Shoppe. As 5-year-olds and adults alike enter the store, their jaws drop and their eyes widen at the sight of this real life candy land. Although it is a weekday, the shop is busy with kids and their parents scooping candy into brown paper bags.

Lauren and her mother, Lynn Wiegand, could not be more thrilled because despite the sudden increase of businesses closing around the United States and even in downtown Carmel, they have miraculously found a spark of success.

In today’s society more and more people are cutting back on items seen as not a necessity such as eating out, coffee and even gas. But despite the recent economic decline, experts call some products recession-proof, including candy. In fact according to the National Confectioners Association, in 2007 the candy industry experienced over $29 billion in retail sales, a 3 percent increase from 2006.

“The last few weeks have proved how successful we have been,” Lauren said. “We have already achieved so much success and we have only been open for five weeks.”

Analysts at The Nielsen Co., which tracks consumer habits, said that compared with other discretionary items like carbonated beverages and tobacco, candy sales are likely to still increase despite the declining economy because it is the most affordable vice. Also they say that another factor is the convenience of candy. Candy is located at most major grocery stores and gas stations in mass quantities and since more and more people are cutting back on driving distance, they are spending more at these convenience stores.

Mrs. Wiegand, one of three partners of The Simply Sweet Shoppe, said that despite the store’s success she still worries about the day that the momentum starts to die down. She also worries about the more frequent trend of closed businesses specifically in downtown Carmel.

“It is scary watching (the others stores) go down one by one,” Mrs. Wiegand said.

Mrs. Wiegand and Lauren both said that their success is largely due to exclusivity of their store. “We have definitely found our niche,” Lauren said. “There is nothing like this in Carmel, which makes people want to come.”

Although Mrs. Wiegand said that she did not always dream of opening a candy store, she said that she did want to open up a business where parents could bring their kids.

“We all remember that corner candy store that we would go to and get candy for under a dollar,” Mrs. Wiegand said. “We don’t want to be known as the ‘Carmel’ (meaning expensive) candy store; we want to be affordable.”

Other businesses in Carmel, though, haven’t experienced the same success as The Simply Sweet Shoppe. Bub’s Burgers, although popular, has felt the impact of the declining economy.

Junior Audrey Leech has worked at Bub’s since May and said that she has seen firsthand the effect of the declining economy.

“We raised our prices recently because people are beginning to tip less and less and the prices of food have gone up as well,” Leech said.

“I always worry about my job because with the economy the way it is people are always looking to make cuts,” Leech said. “And (going out to eat) is not always seen as necessary.”

Mrs. Wiegand said that she knows that one day business is bound to slow down. But until then they plan to improve their business even more. No matter what, Mrs. Wiegand said that she is always reminded of the reason she started the business to begin with.

“We wanted to create a destination place unlike anywhere else,” Mrs. Wiegand said. “You can go to a mall and buy candy but we wanted to make it more special then that.”

Lauren said she also has accepted the fact that one day the business will die down. “I have worried about it slowing down,” Lauren said. “We can do all the advertising we want, but some of it is just out of our hands.”
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RECESSION: UPS & DOWNS

Most Recession-Proof Items
• Seafood
• Dry Pasta & Pasta Sauces
• Candy
• Beer

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Most Recession-Vulnerable Item
• Carbonated Beverages
• Eggs
• Cups and Plates
• Tobacco

CHOW.COM / SOURCE