From Down Under with sweet love: Suga Candy Kitchen in Melbourne and Sticky in Sydney take the candy experience economy to the next level by turning rock candy into a personalized, name-embedded feast for the eyes and stomach. Candy is hand-made on the premises (a serious case of retail-theater), with crowds forming in front of the shop windows.
The experience continues inside the store: customers can try out the various sweets, or partake in candy making contests, enticing GENERATION C and CUSTOMER MADE enthusiasts to not only become part of the experience, but also to co-create it. Special events (birthdays, weddings and the like) are also being addressed: customers can choose their own colors, flavours and message. Corporate clients, which include Kylie Minogue, Ralph Lauren, Toyota, MTV, Optus, Westpac and Revlon, can purchase a bag of 10 kg customized rock candy for AUD 30 (USD 23.90 / EUR 18.75 / GBP 12.90).
Capitalizing on the powerful combination of entertainment, high quality and niche focus, Suga Candy now has 6 shops in the Melbourne urban area, while Sticky has two shops in Sydney: one in The Rocks, and one on Bondi Junction.
What's next? Well, the owners of Suga Candy have already expanded into chocolate: Melbourne based Koko Black, featuring Belgian chocolatiers doing their thing in full view. How about cookies? Licorice? Ice creams?
Opportunities
In a world of global blanding and a Sea of Retail Sameness, every marketer should spend a day at a Sticky or Suga Candy or Koko Black store, to shake off the belief that commoditization is now a given. Creating a sticky audience is still possible, healthy margins included. (Koko's chocs retail for AUD 89 a kilogram, and Sticky's rock candy demands a pleasant premium, too.) Sweet!
Spotted by: Kelly Spinks
Please note that Springwise is not associated with the company / product mentioned in this article.