Sour Patch Kids' Opens First Brick-and-Mortar Shop
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Growing up I was never much of a candy person, chocolate or otherwise, but that has changed in recent years. I would normally turn down an offer for candy, I'm not a fan of Starburst or Skittles, but offer me Sour Patch Kids, and the kid in me can't help but accept. I fondly remember the iconic commercials advertising Sour Patch Kids over the years. For those who don't, they would usually feature the Sour Patch Kids themselves, usually pulling a mean-spirited prank thereby injuring the person involved, then following up with being kind and attempting to make amends.
Sour Patch Kids Banner
Now then, does the idea of a Sour Patch Kids' physical location strike you as odd? It likely isn't an odd thing to hear on its own. How about if it were planned to be opened on Broadway in New York City amidst the COVID-19 pandemic? As it turns out, as strange as it may seem at first glance, that's exactly what Sour Patch Kids' have done. An article featured on Adweek, published on October 9th, 2020, discusses the new store, Sour Patch Kids' popularity and success over the past few years, while also touching on some of the issues they're faced with and strategies the brand has been working on.
Promotional video showcasing the new store
Sour Patch Kids NYC, originally set to open in April, had been pushed back to an August opening due to COVID-19. Plans to open the 3,300 square foot location had originated prior to the beginning of the pandemic we now face. As such, they have had to (temporarily) nix the seating next to the dessert bar they have in-store. Customers are still able to order from the dessert bar, choosing from items like milkshakes or cookies, as pictured below, provided they are wearing a mask while in the store. Customers can then take their order to go or continue shopping in the store. Shopping at the store offers fun and colorful Sour Patch Kids branded products such lip balm, pillows, shirts, shoes and even nail polish, amongst the expected offerings of different flavors of the candy itself.
Some of the items on offer at the dessert bar.
The value proposition on offer is much more than just a brand of candy, it's beginning to shape up to be a sort of icon with its own culture, bringing out the eleven year old in each one of us. It seems that this physical location is capturing this idea, and turning it into an atmosphere customers can immerse themselves in first-hand. With the pandemic causing issues for many brands and companies, financially and otherwise, Sour Patch Kids was able to push through and achieve something as significant a landmark as the opening of their first physical store. Furthermore, where most brands or companies in this position would have most likely been discouraged by the risk involved with such an undertaking falling in the middle of a pandemic, many may have postponed or reconsidered the idea altogether. Instead, they have taken it in stride, offering a refreshing and unique shop during a time that we all need to experience a little relief and reminder of what a fun and care-free atmosphere feels like.
Though it seems like a strange move to follow through on, I feel like the approach will pay off. Regardless of the circumstances working against it, and whether the store will be profitable or not, this is something that sticks out to others and myself, drumming up publicity and exposure. Although it's not the first branded candy store in the area, others being an M&M store and a Hershey's store, it is a solid option because it is a non-chocolate candy store. It also gives an opportunity to gather more data on the effectiveness of a candy branded physical location, and the opportunity to learn more about their customers. If I were the brand manager, it's definitely likely I would have had second thoughts about following through with opening the store. It would depend on a lot of factors that I would be aware of in that position, though if I did decide against following through with opening the store, it would have been something that I would have regretted. As such, I would see opening the store a risk worth taking, perhaps with a soft opening to test the waters, learning from that, and then deciding which way to continue forward.
In reading this article and writing this blog post, it gave myself an opportunity to think about the issues and implications associated with opening a new brick-and-mortar shop amidst a pandemic. The unique problem solving required, the difficulty to pull it off in an effective way, having to re-evaluate how the in-store experience would be while also adhering to mandates that customers wear masks, and so on. It's shown me that even when the odds are stacked against you or your brand, that doesn't necessarily mean you should avoid taking the risk. If it's something that shows passion for your brand and sharing that passion with customers, you can accomplish something special, despite circumstance working against you.
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