Candy Concepts Inc.-Candy Racks/Candy Containers

3 Display Fixtures for Creating Countertop Candy Displays

2009-07-03T13:55:00.004-05:00

Countertop candy displays are lucrative merchandise options for a wide variety of businesses. Stores that already specialize in selling food items, such as candy stores, grocery stores, and convenience stores, can benefit from candy displays on their countertops, as can businesses that generally focus on selling other kinds of merchandise, like gift shops, bookstores, toy stores, and even hotels and motels.

Countertops are ideal places to create candy displays because these areas are generally the last places customers are before they checkout and leave. Countertop displays allow customers to see the available candies without having to hunt for them and, because nearly everyone loves candy, many customers are likely to make a purchase as they’re checking out.

Of course, in order to create an attractive, effective, and convenient countertop display of candy, you have to think about the best ways you can showcase the candy. Below are three common display fixtures ideal for candy displays on countertops.

Candy Containers

Some store owners opt to create their own candy displays (as opposed to using display racks; see below) and in order to do this they need to use candy containers. The most popular kinds of candy containers include:

Plastic candy containers and plastic fish bowls

Glass candy jars and glass fish bowls

Wooden baskets

Note that these containers come in many different shapes and sizes. Make sure you choose the size and shape that will work best with your countertop’s space as well as the material (plastic, glass, or wood) that will work best with your store’s traffic volume. Also remember that if you’re display unwrapped candies you’ll need containers with accessories like lids and scoops.

Display Racks

Although there are two basic kinds of display racks (rotating and fixed position), when it comes to choosing display racks for your countertop’s candy display, it might feel as if the possibilities are endless!

Revolving Display Racks: Revolving display racks include wooden racks with wooden baskets, pegboard racks with two or four sides, and spinning racks great for hanging small bags of candy. Some store owners also use turntable cereal dispensers, filling the tubes with candy instead of cereal.

Fixed Position Display Racks: Fixed position display racks include bucket racks with buckets designed to sit or hang, and racks with shelves for placing candy containers (these racks mostly resemble traditional convenience store racks; they’re just smaller versions that fit on your countertop).

As is the case with the many different kinds of candy containers, fixed position and revolving display racks are available in an assortment of sizes and, if you’re displaying unwrapped candies you should also look for accessories like lids and scoops.

Pre-Filled Candy Displays

Pre-filled candy displays are ideal for store’s that are just getting started as well as busy store owners who don’t have a lot of time to dedicate to arranging their countertop displays.

Store owners can find pre-filled candy displays in most of the same forms of the empty containers and display racks. For example, it’s possible to order both pre-filled candy containers (plastic or glass) as well as display racks with buckets already filled with candy.

Keep in mind that pre-filled lollipop trees are also convenient options for countertop candy displays.

7 Types of Rotating Racks for Your Countertop Displays

2009-07-03T12:09:00.003-05:00

Whether it’s a candy store, hotel, or yogurt shop, nearly every kind of business has a countertop, and each one that does has a need for countertop displays. Of course, with countertop displays come countertop display racks, and many store owners choose to use rotating display racks on their countertops for two reasons:

When the merchandise is located on a countertop, rotating racks offer customers much more convenience. Customers can easily spin the racks to see all the items for sale.
Revolving racks allow store owners to showcase much more merchandise than do fixed position racks with just one side of space for merchandise.

Below are seven of the most common and useful racks you can use for your countertop displays.

1. Wooden Display Racks

Rotating wooden racks for countertop displays are excellent fixtures for organizing and showcasing small items. The wooden baskets act like buckets and provide ideal amounts of space for merchandise such as small children’s toys, bags of candies or other treats, or convenience items such as eyeglass repair kits, all-in-one tools, lighters, travel-sized manicure sets, and key chains.

Most establishments that use wooden display racks are retail businesses such as convenience stores, candy stores, toy stores, and bookstores, though other kinds of businesses, like hotels and motels, can use wooden racks to create displays on their countertops, too.

2. Pegboard Display Racks

Rotating pegboard racks for countertop displays generally come in two varieties: flat racks with two display sides and box-style racks with four display sides. Store owners can display items on pegboard racks using several different kinds of accessories including pegs or “hooks” from which to hang items, pegboard trays, pegboard buckets, and divider bins.

3. Spinner Display Racks

Spinner racks for countertop displays are available with several spinning “levels” for hanging merchandise. Spinner racks are generally quite small (when compared to other kinds of rotating countertop racks) and ideal for businesses with little countertop space to work with – and small, hanging items to showcase!

4. Turntable Cereal Dispensers

Turntable cereal dispensers are ideal for any business that sells breakfast foods such as cafeterias, restaurants, and specialty food shops like bagel shops and yogurt shops, as well as hotels and motels that offer continental breakfasts. Of course, these establishments as well as other kinds of businesses can use turntable dispensers to organize and display other kinds of edible items like wrapped and unwrapped candies.

These turntables are available with several tubes of various sizes and with handles attached so customers can easily access the food items.

5. Post Card Display Racks

Revolving post card racks for countertop displays do just what their name suggests – helps you organize and display post cards on your counter! These racks are ideal for businesses in the travel and hospitality industries, such as hotels and motels, as well as other common businesses in tourist areas such as souvenir shops.

6. Earring Card Display Racks

Similar to post card racks, revolving earring card racks for countertop displays have a pretty straightforward name; however, earring racks can also display other kinds of items fixed to cards such as rings, necklaces, bracelets, and hair clips.

7. Tiered Display Racks

Revolving tiered racks for countertop displays usually provide two or three “tiers,” or flat spaces, spin for customers’ convenience. Some tiered racks include special trays for holding items, such as tester bottles of cosmetics, perfumes, or colognes. Because of the variety of options they offer, these racks are great for several different kinds of business including gift shops, welcome centers, and cosmetics counters.

6 Types of Rotating Racks for Your Floor Displays

2009-07-02T14:21:00.005-05:00

Rotating racks for floor displays are ideal for nearly every kind of retail business. These racks help store owners make the most of the floor space they have to work with, and they offer extra convenience to customers because they enable customers to view all sides of the racks without having to move!

Below are five of the most common kinds of rotating racks you can use for your floor displays. Consider the kinds of items you want to showcase and the amount of space you have to work with as you learn more about each one.

1. Bucket Display Racks

Bucket display racks are some of the most versatile racks available. The revolving versions of bucket racks can include as many as thirty buckets and can hold anything from edible items like wrapped candies to small novelty toys for children.

2. Jar Display Racks

Think of jar display racks as siblings to bucket display racks. Jar racks come with numerous “jars,” rather than “buckets,” and these jars most often have lids to help keep food items such as candy safe and small merchandise like hair accessories or toys safe from sticky fingers.

3. Wooden Display Racks

If jar displays are the siblings of bucket racks, wooden display racks are definitely their cousins. The main difference between bucket racks and wooden racks is the fact that the racks and buckets are wooden!

Many store owners use these delightful display fixtures to add charm to their merchandise displays, and they work well for everything from bags of chips and candy to children’s toys and trial-sized hygiene products.

4. Pegboard Display Racks

As the name suggests, pegboard display racks are designed showcase merchandise that hangs from pegs or “hooks”; however, other accessories such as pegboard trays, divider bins, and pegboard buckets work well with these racks and expand the possibilities of the kinds of merchandise you can showcase.

Pegboard racks generally have two sides (though sometimes you can find slightly larger versions with four sides) and spin from the base. Depending on the overall feel of your store, you can even add some flair to your display when you choose pegboard racks in fun neon colors.

5. Wire Display Racks

Like pegboards, many kinds of wire display racks come equipped with their own kinds of pegs from which you can hang different kinds of merchandise.

Wire racks offer different kinds of rotating options, as well. For example, some wire racks allow customers to rotate the entire display, while others are designed to rotate at each level (spinning one “row” of items while leaving the others untouched).

6. Clip Display Racks

Clip display racks are very similar to wire racks, with one major difference: Rather than using any variation of a “peg” from which to hang merchandise, clip racks use “clips” from which to hang merchandise. You can fasten such items as bags chips or other bagged treats to the clips, and customers can spin the rack to see all the goodies you have to offer.

It’s easy to find sturdy clip racks, but you should be conscious of the weight of your merchandise. It’s best to save small and lightweight items for these racks.

Choosing Racks for Floor and Countertop Displays

2009-07-02T12:59:00.004-05:00

Whether it’s a convenience store, bookstore, or gift shop, nearly every kind of retail store uses display racks to showcase its merchandise.

As you’re determining the kind of display racks that will work best for your store, keep three things in mind:

The merchandise you plan to display.
The amount of display space you have to work with.
What will be the most convenient for your customers.

1. Consider Your Merchandise

The first thing you should consider as you’re thinking about the kinds of racks to use for your floor and countertop displays is the merchandise you plan to display.

Some items, such as small bags of chips, peanuts, or trail mix, are designed with holes at the top the bags to hang from pegs. Pegboard floor and countertop racks work well for these kinds of merchandise.

Other kinds of items, such as liters and cases of soda, are heavier and work best with traditional convenience store racks with sturdy shelves.

If you plan to display small items like wrapped candies, children’s toys like bouncy balls, or craft items like beads, containers of glitter, or spools of lace, display racks with buckets might work best. Like many display racks, bucket racks are available for both floor and countertop displays and designed to hold as few as four buckets or as many as thirty buckets.

2. Consider Your Display Space

Considering your display space will help you determine whether you need to use fixed position or revolving displays, and whether those displays would work best on the floor or on your countertop.

No matter what kind of rack you want to use, chances are you can find it in a model that will work best with the space you have to work with. Most racks for displays are designed with two versions in mind: One that will work well for countertop displays and one that will work well for floor displays.

For example, you can find both fixed position bucket racks and bucket racks that rotate. The same is true for traditional convenience store racks, wire display racks, and pegboard racks.

3. Consider Your Customers’ Convenience

In the end, no matter how attractive your display is and no matter how well it works with the flow and space of your store, if it’s inconvenient for customers, it’s a failure.

Follow these tips to make sure you showcase your items in a way that’s as convenient for customers as possible:

If you’re using fixed position racks, make sure the side that doesn’t hold any merchandise is facing away from the customers. For countertop racks, this means the empty side should face your side of the counter. For floor racks, this means situating the empty side against or close to a wall or another stationary display.

If you’re using rotating racks, make sure the racks are situated far enough away from other displays that customers can easily spin the racks without the merchandise getting caught on other items.

Regardless of what kind of rack you use, make sure it’s never situated in a place that blocks a customer’s path.

Showcasing Merchandise: Fixed Position Versus Rotating Display Racks

2009-07-01T14:19:00.006-05:00

Racks designed for countertop displays and floor displays are available in a wide variety of shapes, styles, and sizes and perfect for retail businesses, restaurants and specialty food shops, bookstores, gift shops, and hospitality establishments like hotels and motels.

It’s important to think about the kind of merchandise you want to display as you’re considering the kind of display racks you should choose for your business. Obviously, small and lightweight items will work well with small display racks, while larger and heavier items will work best with larger, sturdier display racks.

However, you must also consider the amount of display space you have to work with, and this is when you need to think about whether fixed position display racks or rotating display racks will work best.

Using Fixed Position Display Racks

Fixed position display racks are ideal for both countertop displays and floor displays.

If you want to use a fixed position rack for countertop displays:

Choose a rack designed to showcase merchandise on only one side. Some fixed position display racks are designed to hold merchandise on all sides, and these racks are inconvenient if you plan to situate them on your checkout register’s countertop because customers can’t move to the other side.

Choose lightweight items you can easily display on the particular fixed position rack you’re using. For example, some fixed position countertop racks are designed to hold plastic containers or buckets, and some are designed to hang merchandise from pegs.

If you want to use a fixed position rack for floor displays:

Choose a rack designed to showcase merchandise on just one side, or on three sides (depending on where you plan to situate your rack).

Situate your rack in a place where the back of the rack isn’t visible, such as against a wall or at the end of an aisle rather than in the center of your store.

Feel free to choose either lightweight or heavier items to display on your rack. Some fixed position floor racks are designed to hold plastic containers and bucks or hang items on pegs, just like countertop racks, and some are designed with sturdy shelves for display heavier and larger items like family-sized bags of chips and liters or cases of soda.

Using Rotating Display Racks

Like fixed position display racks, you can find rotating display racks designed for both countertop displays and floor displays and perfect for either small and lightweight merchandise or large and heavier merchandise.

Still, there are a few points you should keep in mind as you’re determining whether revolving display racks will work for your display.

Spinning display racks are best situated in open spaces where the merchandise is least likely to get caught on anything as your customers rotate it to see each side.

Like fixed display racks, there are revolving display racks designed to be sturdy enough to hold heavy merchandise. However, you must be careful not to overstock the rack; otherwise, the rack will be at risk for toppling over and possibly harming customers. If you want to display quite heavy items, choose a fixed position display rack.

Be careful about display items on top of the rack, as these items could fall off as customers rotate the rack. If your spinning display rack has a flat surface at the top, it’s best to either leave that space clear or – at the very most – securely fasten a display sign on it.

Using Wholesale Glass Jars Outside the Retail Business

2009-07-01T12:29:00.005-05:00

When you think about glass jars as storage and display tools, you probably imagine them sitting on the shelves or countertops of candy stores, convenience stores, specialty shops, or restaurants.

However, many other kinds of businesses purchase wholesale glass jars to organize and display a variety of items. Lots of folks even use them as organizational tools in their homes! Consider the following examples and think about how wholesale glass jars can work for you.

Health Industry Professionals Regularly Use Glass Jars

As far as storing medicines is concerned, regular glass jars aren’t suited as pharmaceutical containers. However, many health professionals such as doctors and dentists use glass jars with lids to store a variety of health tools.

For example, doctors and dentists can purchase wholesale glass jars to organize and display:

Unwrapped items like cotton balls, gauze, and tongue depressors. Glass jars with lids are best suited for these items in order to keep them safe from contamination.

Wrapped items like bandages, packets of ointment, sample toothbrushes, and trial-sized containers of toothpaste and mouthwash. Doctors can even keep goodies like lollipops as treats for children after their appointments!

Hospitality Businesses Create Organized Displays with Glass Jars

Rather than leaving them on the sink countertops or requiring guests to call the front desk and request extras, hotels and motel managers can purchase wholesale glass jars to organize their bathroom displays of complimentary items. Travel-sized items like bottles, containers, or bars of soap, shampoo, shaving cream, lotion, toothpaste, and mouthwash fit perfectly in these jars, as do other items like disposable razors, combs, and toothbrushes.

Hotels and motels can also use glass jars to add elegance to their displays of other complimentary items like packets of coffee, sugar, and sweetener as well as plastic utensils, hand wipes, straws, and coffee stir sticks they provide in their rooms.

Find Wholesale Glass Jars to Organize Your Own Home

Regardless of what you do for a living and how glass jars can help your business, know that these containers are ideal tools for organizing your own home!

Creating attractive displays, organizing your home items, keep food items fresh – you can use glass jars in many of the same ways professional industries use them. Consider these ideas:

Purchase wholesale glass jars to organize your toiletries and hygiene products such as cotton balls, Q-Tips, bandages, and travel- and trial-sized packets and bottles of medicated ointments, shampoos, soaps, and lotions.

Find wholesale glass jars with lids to organize your baking and cooking supplies such as flour, sugar, salt, and cornmeal, or extras such as ice cream sprinkles.

Store your drinking straws in these jars to keep them safe from contamination.

Create attractive displays and allow your family members and friends to see what kinds of treats you have to offer by storing foods like cookies or trail mix in glass jars with lids.

The jars are great tools for cutting down on waste. Use them to keep organized and handy extra items such as the packages of plastic utensils and packets of salt, pepper, and sugar you have left over from fast food restaurants.

5 Display Tools for Old-Fashioned Candy Stores

2009-06-30T16:52:00.004-05:00

If you’re thinking of opening an old-fashioned candy store, or you already manage an old-fashioned candy store but need some help giving your business a makeover, some of the first things you should think about are the kinds of display containers and fixtures you should use for your candy displays.

Below are five ideal display tools for old-fashioned candy stores to help you pick the tools that will work best for your store!

1. Wholesale Glass Jars and Glass Fish Bowls

Wholesale glass jars and glass fish bowls are the epitome of old-fashioned candy store displays. You can find these glass containers in a variety of sizes and styles, as well as with lids for keeping unwrapped candies wrapped and safe from dust and debris.

While wholesale glass jars and glass fish bowls are perfect for displaying candy in old-fashioned candy stores, broken glass is extremely dangerous so you’ll want to make sure you use them in low-traffic areas of your store or, at the very least, positioned on sturdy display racks.

2. Fixed and Rotating Countertop Racks and Floor Display Racks

If you manage a candy store, chances are not all of your displays are on countertops. This means you’ll other kinds of display tools (besides the glass jars and fish bowls) to hold your candy.

Fixed display racks designed for floors and countertops are ideal for displaying glass containers of candy. At the same time, rotating display racks are great for bags or boxes of candy you can hang from begs or stack on shelves.

3. Wooden Baskets and Wooden Display Racks

Wooden baskets and wooden display racks exude old-fashioned charm and are excellent alternatives for store owners who don’t want to use wire display racks like those found in convenience stores.

You can find wooden displays designed for countertop displays and floor displays, but because the wooden baskets generally don’t come with lids, these display tools are best suited for wrapped bulk candies like Atomic Fireballs, individual pieces of bubble gum, and gourmet chocolates.

4. Gumball Machines

Gumball machines are classic display tools for candy stores. You can find gumball machines with one head or numerous heads and in a variety of different styles. Choose classic styles with round or square heads or fun styles shaped like rocket ships or designed with clear stands to allow your customers to watch their gumballs traveling down to meet them!

Gumball machines are also quite versatile. You can find machines designed for countertop displays, or you can find them positioned on stands and ready for you to move anywhere in your candy store.

5. Dry Food Dispensers

Some unwrapped bulk candies – like Skittles, M&Ms, Runts, Mike & Ike, Good & Plenty, and Jelly Belly’s jelly beans – work well in more than just wholesale glass jars with lids. Because these candies are unwrapped, you can keep them fresh and safe from contamination when you store and display them in dry food dispensers.

You can find dry food dispensers designed to mount on your store’s wall or countertop, and they allow customers to select the amount of candies they want while keeping the rest secured inside.

Glass Jars and Fish Bowls Add Elegance to Your Displays

2009-06-30T15:14:00.005-05:00

Plastic jars and plastic fish bowls are great ways to create various kinds of merchandise displays, but if you’re looking for a bit more charm and elegance, consider using wholesale glass jars and glass fish bowls.

These glass containers are available in several sizes and styles, which makes them ideal for any amount of display space you have to work with. Also, if your merchandise is unwrapped and edible – such as gumballs or ice cream sprinkles – you can find these containers with lids.

Below are three ideas to consider for using glass jars and glass fish bowls for creating numerous kinds of displays – no matter what kind of retail business or establishment you manage!

1. Create Special Toppings or Candy Displays

Maybe you’d like to create a charming “penny” candy display such as those typically found in old-fashioned candy stores. Or, perhaps you manage an ice cream parlor or yogurt shop and need to order wholesale containers to store and attractively display your sprinkles or toppings along your store’s countertop.

Whatever the case, wholesale glass jars and glass fish bowls are ideal containers for creating displays such as those you’d find in specialty candy shops, bakeries, ice cream parlors, and yogurt shops. Convenience store owners can even create countertop displays using these glass containers or place these containers on sturdy convenience store racks throughout their businesses – if traffic permits (see special note below).

2. Showcase Small Gifts, Souvenirs, or Hobby Items

Gift stores such as those you find in malls, hospitals, and hotels, souvenir shops like those at tourist and vacation locations, and stores that specialize in selling hobby and craft items can use these glass containers to display a multitude of items. For example, wholesale glass jars and glass fish bowls are elegant ways to showcase small gifts such as figurines, souvenir items such as seashells from the beach, or even thimbles, beads, and buttons.

For these kinds of displays, consider dedicating a large countertop where you can safely position the glass containers, or choose a few sturdy display racks, such as wire display racks, and position your displays throughout the store.

3. Store and Display Complimentary Items

Business in the travel and hospitality industry, such as hotels and motels, can use wholesale glass jars and glass fish bowls to add organization and charm to their usual bathroom displays of complimentary items like travel-sized soaps, shampoos, lotions, mouthwashes, and shower caps. These establishments can also use glass containers in the rooms to display other complimentary items like packets of coffee and related items like sugar, sweetener, creamer, and stir sticks.

At their checkout counters, many restaurants offer complimentary items such as toothpicks, breath mints, and matchbooks with the restaurant’s logo printed on them. If your countertop offers enough space, these glass containers are ideal for displaying such items.

Note: If you’re considering using wholesale glass jars or glass fish bowls for your displays, be sure to think about your store’s normal traffic. If a customer bumps into your display, glass containers are generally more easily broken than their plastic counterparts. Depending on your store’s usual volume of traffic, plastic jars and fish bowls might work better.

Using Plastic Fish Bowls in Your Convenience Store Display

2009-06-29T12:00:00.000-05:00

Plastic fish bowls are classic display tools in all retail settings, and they’re especially useful in convenience stores.

Like their glass counterparts, plastic fish bowl containers are versatile and ideal for a variety of purposes; however, they’re more durable when it comes to withstanding the fast-paced, high-traffic environment of a convenience store. They’re also available in an assortment of sizes, making them perfect for everything from gumballs to small children’s toys!

Use Plastic Fish Bowls to Create Countertop Displays

Each display in a convenience store is important in its own right; without them, there would be no merchandise for the customers!

However, countertop displays are perhaps one of the most crucial kinds of displays in convenience stores. Countertop displays use a small space to showcase a vast array of merchandise just as a customer is getting ready to check out.

As you’re thinking about how to use these kinds of fish bowls in your countertop displays, consider these ideas:

Plastic fish bowls are great for candy displays. Fill your bowls with anything from Tootsie Rolls to Jawbreakers!

You can use these fish bowls to display small children’s toys like bouncy balls.

Fill your fish bowls with small convenience items like travel-sized manicure sets, sewing kits, or eyeglass repair kits.

Use your fish bowls to display common convenience items like lighters or matchbooks.

Fish bowls are perfect for creating a display of souvenir items like key chains with your state’s logo.

Pair Plastic Fish Bowls with Wire Display Racks

Just as they work well for countertop displays, plastic fish bowls are ideal for use on wire display racks. Because wire display racks are available in many sizes and shapes, you can create larger displays and position them anywhere in your convenience store.

For example, you might want to create a display of fish bowls filled with wrapped gumballs near a larger candy display, or you might want to showcase travel-sized hygiene products near a shelf filled with full-sized bottles of shampoos, soaps, and lotions.

Use Plastic Fish Bowls in the Deli

Many convenience stores sell more than just fuel, quick snacks, and last minute items like full- or travel-sized hygiene products customers might have forgotten to pack for their trips or pick up while they were doing their regular shopping. Some convenience stores include deli-style areas where customers – whether traveling through or local to the town – can stop for a meal.

If your convenience store offers a deli-style area, you can use plastic fish bowls:

On your deli’s countertop or on each table in the deli to collect tips from customers.

Near the coffee machine or on each table in the deli to hold packets of sugar, creamer, and sweetener.

On each table in the deli to hold packets of condiments such as ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise, as well as seasonings like sugar, salt, and pepper.

On your deli’s countertop or on each individual table to offer customers after-dinner mints, toothpicks, or complimentary matchbooks.

Fish Bowls for Convenience Store Displays: Plastic or Glass?

2009-06-29T09:37:00.006-05:00

Fish bowl containers are ideal for more than just providing a home for your pet fish! These versatile containers have been helping convenience store owners create perfect merchandise displays for many years.

Convenience store’s can use fish bowl containers to:

Create countertop displays of edible merchandise like candy, or non-edible merchandise like ponytail holders, all-in-one pocket tools, key chains, or children’s toys like bouncy balls.

Position your fish bowls on wire display racks and situate your displays throughout your convenience store.

If your convenience store has a deli-style area, you can place fish bowls on the countertop or on each individual table to collect tips from patrons or displays packets of condiments, seasonings, coffee extras, breath mints, toothpicks, hand wipes, or complimentary matchbooks.

Both plastic and glass fish bowls work well for convenience store displays, but the kind of convenience store you operate will determine which material you should choose.

When are Plastic Fish Bowls Best for Convenience Store Displays?

Plastic fish bowls are usually always the best options for convenience stores that experience high volumes of fast-paced traffic.

Plastic is generally less likely to break if a customer should bump into the bowls in a countertop display or into the wire display rack holding the bowls.

When are Glass Fish Bowls Best for Convenience Store Displays?

Quite the opposite of plastic fish bowls, glass fish bowls work well for convenience stores that don’t experience high volumes of fast-paced traffic.

Generally, the less traffic a store experiences, the fewer chances there are for customers to bump into and break fish bowl displays.

Tips for Choosing Plastic or Glass Fish Bowls

If you’re still unsure about which fish bowls to use in your convenience store displays, consider these tips:

If your store experiences a high number of customers each day and the environment is generally fast paced and hectic, consider plastic fish bowl containers.

If your store operates at a slower pace, consider glass fish bowl containers. Slower-paced convenience stores present fewer opportunities for the fish bowls to break and create dangerous situations.

In addition to the kind of traffic your store experiences, consider your store’s “feel.” If your store leans toward a particular theme or décor, chances are one or the other material – glass or plastic – will work best.

Think about the kind of merchandise you plan to display in the fish bowls. If it’s merchandise adults are more likely to grab such as mini eyeglass repair kits or lighters, glass fish bowls might work; however, if it’s merchandise more likely to catch a child’s eye such as gumballs, candies, or bouncy balls, it might be best to choose plastic fish bowls.

Remember, when it comes to choosing fish bowls for your convenience store displays, you don’t have to choose just plastic or just glass. You can select a variety of fish bowls to use in different areas of your store. For example, if your store experiences a high volume of traffic on one area but a low volume in another, you might want to use plastic fish bowls where the most customers frequent, and glass fish bowls in the less busy areas.

5 Ways to Treat Your Customers with Jelly Bean Displays

2009-06-27T12:00:00.000-05:00

Jelly beans, such as those manufactured by the well-known Jelly Belly Candy Company, are popular among a wide variety of customer bases and therefore make an excellent choice for candy displays in convenience stores, grocery stores, delis, bakeries, yogurt shops, ice cream parlors, and many other kinds of retail businesses.

Should you display your jelly beans on your store’s countertop? On a display rack that sits on the floor? What about your walls? Can jelly beans go there, too? As with other kinds of candies, jelly beans lend themselves to many different kinds of candy displays. Below are five of the most convenient and attractive ways to display your jelly beans. Choose the one – or two! – that best suit your store.

Plastic Containers, Glass Jars, and Fishbowls

Plastic containers, glass jars such as candy jars, and fishbowls (in both plastic and glass) are some of the most common display tools in most stores, and this is likely because these containers are durable, versatile, and reusable.

If you choose any of these kinds of containers for your jelly bean displays, make sure you choose containers with lids to keep your jelly beans fresh and safe from debris, as well as aluminum or plastic scoops so your customers can easily scoop out the number of jelly beans they want without touching any they don’t want – but others might!

Gravity Bins

You’re probably familiar with gravity bins; they’re the kinds of bins designed to be fastened to countertops, walls, or shelves and usually contain coffee beans, dry cereal, or small candies.

These bins are ideal for holding jelly beans as they save space, allow the customers to easily see what kinds of jelly beans are inside, and allow them to easily dispense the number of jelly beans they want.

Drawer Displays

Draw displays are quite convenient in that they protect your candies from the elements but they don’t require you to keep up with a lid.

Drawer display units, like plexi displays and acrylic dispensers, come in units comprised of several drawers that can hold various amounts of weight and can be paired with other units to create a jelly bean display sized exactly as big or small as you want it.

Scoop Bins

Scoop bins are similar to regular candy containers (like plastic containers, glass jars, and fishbowls) as well as drawer displays. You can find units comprised of several bins attached together, and each unit comes with a convenient attached scoop that will reach all the bins.

You can order scoop bins based on how much candy you plan to display in each bin, as each different kind of scoop bin will hold a certain weight of candy. If you plan to have a large jelly bean display, choose scoop bins that can hold a heavy weight of candy; likewise, if you expect your jelly bean display will be small, choose a scoop bin that will accommodate light weights.

Gumball Machines

Despite their name, gumball machines aren’t just for gumballs! You can put many different kinds of merchandise – edible and non-edible – in these machines, and that includes jelly beans.

3 Tips for Using Gumball Machines in Your Business

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Gumball machines are extremely popular display tools for a number of businesses. Every establishment from convenience stores to hotels can use gumball machines to offer their customers extra sweet treats, snacks, or toys – all the while increasing sales.

1. Think about the Location of Your Gumball Machines

Gumball machines work well in the following locations:

Just on the inside or outside of the store’s entryway. Because the merchandise – the gumballs, other treats, or small toys – are enclosed in the machine’s heads, there’s little chance a customer with sticky fingers can walk away without paying.

At the ends of the store’s aisles. Placing the machines in high-traffic areas allows more customers to see them and maybe make a quick purchase while they’re already shopping.

Near the store’s countertop and register. Situating your machines near the checkout puts the merchandise in front of customers – and gives them one last chance for a treat – before they leave.

2. Consider the Number of Heads for Your Gumball Machines

The “head” of a gumball machine is the clear round or square container at the top that holds the gumballs or other merchandise. Gumball displays are available with as few as one head and as many as eight heads.

As you’re considering the number of heads to include, consider the following factors:

The different kinds of merchandise you want to display in your machines. If you only want to sell one kind of gumball – or, just gumballs, period – then a machine with one head will work for you. However, if you want to sell an assortment of gumballs or a variety of candies, treats, or small toys like bouncy balls, then you might want to select displays that offer several heads.

The amount of traffic you expect your machines to see. If your store experiences a high volume of customers, chances are a display with several gumball heads will work best for you; but, if your store is small and doesn’t experience a high number of customers, you might want to use a display with just one, or a few, heads.

The amount of space you have to work with. Obviously, you need to choose a gumball display that will fit in the space you’ve allotted for it. Storeowners with little space might want to choose machines with single heads situated on a skinny stand, while storeowners with lots of space might be more interested in larger gumball displays with multiple heads situated on a metal rack-style stand.

3. Have Fun with Your Gumball Machines!

Gone are the days of using only traditional gumball machines with round or square heads. These days, you can find gumball machines in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and styles!

Spice up your display with machines in fun shapes like rocket ships and with clear stands so customers can see their gumballs as they travel down to greet them! You can also fill your gumball machines with other kinds of merchandise – both edible and non-edible – such as pieces of candy, peanuts, trail mix, and bouncy balls.

3 Important Factors for Creating a Candy Display

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Whether you manage a convenience store, candy shop, or bookstore, if you’re thinking of creating a candy display you probably have a few questions about how to get started.

What kinds of candies should you use? Should you order bulk wrapped candies or bulk wrapped candies? Where can you find bulk candy for wholesale prices? And how should you display all of this candy?

1. Consider Your Store and Its Customers

The kind of candy you display in your store should reflect both your store’s “atmosphere” as well as the kinds of customers you serve on a daily basis.

For example, if you manage a convenience store or gas station, you probably serve a variety of customers from all walks of life. This means your candy selection will need to reflect the tastes of each of those customers – or, at least, the bulk of those customers. Perhaps you’ll want to offer a selection of gourmet-style candies as well as a larger selection of popular and novelty candies like Jolly Ranchers, Jawbreakers, Runts, and an assortment of lollipops and suckers.

At the same time, if your store is a specialty shop of any sort, you’ll want your candy selection to reflect that. For example, candy stores that pay homage to candy shops of olden days might want to include classic kinds of candies like gumballs or “penny candies.” A shop that caters to a mature customer base, on the other hand, might want to focus more on gourmet chocolates.

2. Think about the Location of Your Candy Display

The location of the candy display is an especially important factor for storeowners who sell a variety of candies – and a variety of other kinds of merchandise – to consider.

For example, if your store sells merchandise geared toward children, such as toys, coloring books and crayons, and board games, it’s a good idea to situate a small display of your novelty or “more fun” candies – the kinds of candies that appeal to children – in these areas.

3. Compare the Best Candy Display Tools

Now that you know what kind of candy you want to sell, it’s time to think about the best way to display that candy – in other words, you need the display tools guaranteed to showcase your candy in the most attractive and convenient ways.

Some of the most popular display tools include:

Colored and plastic containers.

Glass and plastic fishbowl containers.

Gumball machines.

Wire display racks like convenience store racks. *

Wooden display racks and wooden baskets. *

Pegboard display racks. *

Hanging shelf display racks. *

* Note that you can find a variety of display racks designed for countertop displays and floor displays.

Just as when you were choosing the kind of candy your store should sell, as you’re choosing your display racks you should consider your store’s atmosphere. For example, plastic containers and fishbowls and wire rack displays work great for all store types, but glass jars and fishbowls and wooden display racks and baskets add an extra elegance to your displays.

5 Ideas for Using Fishbowl Containers in Your Business

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Fishbowls are extremely popular containers for a variety of businesses. They’re available in a variety of sizes for your merchandise needs and, depending on your business’s atmosphere, you can find plastic fishbowl containers for fast-paced areas and glass fishbowl containers for locations where you want to add an extra bit of charm.

And nearly every kind of business can use them. Fishbowls are ideal for everything from retails stores to amusement parks – and everything in between!

1. Use Fishbowl Containers to Create Candy Displays

Fishbowls are great ways to create displays of candy and other small edible kinds of merchandise in your store.

Consider using a few small fishbowls for a countertop display of candy or gumballs for your customers to see as they check out, or create larger floor displays using wire display racks (see below) so you can display even more merchandise in larger fishbowls.

2. Organize Trial- and Travel-Sized Items with Fishbowl Containers

As mentioned above, fishbowls are popular tools for creating candy displays, but they’re also ideal for displaying other kinds of non-edible merchandise. As is the case with creating displays of candy and other edible items, you might want to use wire display racks with your bowls (see below).

If your store sells trial-or travel-sized items such as hygiene products, eyeglass repair kits, or sewing kits, you can display these items in fishbowls. You can even create displays of other normally small kinds of merchandise like key chains, lighters, and small children’s toys.

3. Pair Fishbowl Containers with Wire Display Racks

Fishbowl containers work great with other tools such as wire display racks. These racks are available in versions designed for countertop displays and floor displays and help you create attractive and convenient displays that work best with the amount of space allotted for your fishbowl displays.

Wire display racks also allow you to make your fishbowl container displays mobile! For example, you can obtain rolling wire display racks that allow you to easily move your display racks anywhere in your store, including outside for sidewalk sale events.

4. Use Fishbowl Containers as Collection Containers

Fishbowls are great for more than just offering your customers a product; you can also use them to collect items from your customers such as tips, business cards, amusement park tickets, and prize tokens.

Be sure to choose the material that will work the safest for how you intend to use the container. For example, if you manage a restaurant or tavern and want to include a container on each table or in your bar area, you might want to use glass fishbowls. If you plan to use your containers in high-energy, high-traffic areas such as amusement parks or carnivals, consider using plastic fishbowls.

5. Hold Prizes in Fishbowl Containers – Even Fish!

Speaking of amusement parks and carnivals, fishbowls are great ways to hold prizes for patrons who win games and challenges! True to their name, fishbowls are excellent for holding fish you offer as prizes, but they’re also perfect for organizing small inanimate prizes for your patrons to choose from.

3 Tips for Using Wire Display Racks

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Wire display racks are some of the most common display tools available to store and business owners. They’re generally lightweight, versatile, durable, and lend themselves to a wide variety of uses for an even wider variety of businesses.

Consider these kinds of stores and businesses that use wire display racks as you’re determining whether they’d be the right display tool for you:

Convenience stores, gas stations, and grocery stores of both the “mom-and-pop” and national chain varieties.

Specialty food shops like candy stores, yogurt shops, ice cream parlors, and bakeries.

Specialty retail shops like accessories boutiques, toy stores, bookstores, gift shops, and hobby shops.

Movie theaters and movie rental businesses.

Travel and hospitality industry businesses like hotels and motels.

1. Use the Wire Rack Designed for Your Display Location

The two most popular places for displays in any kind of retail business are:

The countertops (which usually puts them close to the registers).
Somewhere on the business’s floor (generally at the ends of aisles, near deli-style areas, close to the countertops and registers, and sometime near the business’s entryways).

Wire display racks designed for countertop displays and near registers are great ways to make the most of your countertop space while providing your customers with an attractive, convenient selection of merchandise. You can place merchandise like bags of chips and trail mix directly on the rack’s shelves, or you can display edible merchandise like wrapped candies and gumballs or non-edible items like pens, key chains, and lighters in plastic containers situated on the rack’s shelves.

Wire display racks designed for floor displays are basically larger, more durable versions of the countertop display racks. You can use these racks for the same kinds of purposes, or you can display larger merchandise like liters and cases of soda.

2. Match Your Wire Display Racks with Your Permanent Displays

Because countertop displays tend to include add-on merchandise for customers to see as they’re checking out, this tip especially applies if you plan to use wire display racks designed for floor displays.

Chances are the bulk of your business’s merchandise sits on larger, more permanent shelves throughout your store. Wire display racks designed for floor use are great ways to compliment your permanent displays and offer extra convenience to your customers.

For example, if your store sells full-sized hygiene products like shampoo, soap, lotion, toothpaste, hairspray, and deodorant, you can use a wire rack to create a display of travel- or trial-sized hygiene products and position it close to your permanent shelf.

3. Create Mobile Displays with Rolling Wire Display Racks

To attract potential customers walking by, some store’s regularly showcase merchandise outside the establishment’s doors, while some business’s have occasional “sidewalk sales.”

Rolling wire display racks make it easy for storeowners to move their merchandise outside at the store’s opening and back inside once the store closes. For these purposes, you can find a wide variety of wire rack styles, from racks designed to hang apparel to racks designed to hold cases of soda.

Choosing Candy Jars: Plastic or Glass?

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When it comes to display containers for any kind of retail store or restaurant, the options seem endless. Candy jars are especially popular choices because they are so versatile. They can hold a multitude of different kinds of merchandise – not just candy – and when they’re empty you can simply refill them or use them for another purpose entirely.

However, even candy jars themselves present a variety of options, and – aside from size – perhaps the most important you should consider is the material. Do you need plastic candy jars, or glass candy jars? Which would work best for your store?

Consider the Location of the Display

Whether you’re displaying candy or another kind of small snack in your candy jars, chances are high that you’ll situate your display either on your store’s countertop or on a wire display rack. You might even place your candy jars on a wire display rack designed for countertop displays!

Wherever you plan to place your candy jar display, consider the area’s traffic. If you want to create a countertop display, but your countertop and register areas tend to stay crowded, plastic candy jars are your best bet. If you want to create a display on a tall wire display rack and situate it somewhere else in your store, make sure that location doesn’t experience a high number of customers at any given point during the day before you stack glass candy jars on the shelves; otherwise, you might want to go with plastic containers instead.

Consider Your Store’s Traffic

Sometimes it doesn’t matter where you choose to place your candy jar display; if your store tends to experiences a high volume of traffic during most business hours, for safety purposes it might be best to use plastic candy jars instead of glass candy jars.

However, if your store generally experiences a low volume of traffic – or if most of your customers are adults and not excited children – glass candy jars might be the best display option for you.

Consider Your Store’s Theme or Décor

While the first two factors you should consider – your store’s traffic and the location of the display – are extremely important because they deal with safety issues, this third factor to consider – your store’s theme or décor – is important on an entirely different level.

Most traditional kinds of retail stores – such as convenience stores, gas stations, and grocery stores – will choose plastic candy jars for candy displays. This is for two main reasons: One, these are high-traffic kinds of stores and plastic is less likely to break and injure someone if it falls from the display or a customer bumps into it, and two, these kinds of stores generally have a laid back atmosphere without any special “theme” or décor.

However, specialty shops such as gourmet candy stores or even bakeries, yogurt shops, or ice cream parlors that sell candy or other small snacks that can fit in jars often want their displays to exude a bit more charm. Glass candy jars are perfect was to achieve such a result.

Using Fishbowl Containers as Display Tools

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From convenience stores to gift shops, many different kinds of retail businesses can use fishbowl containers as display tools.

Just take a look at how versatile fishbowls are:

You can find both plastic fishbowls and glass fishbowls. Choose the material that best suits your store’s environment and atmosphere. For example, if you manage a fast-paced convenience store or gas station, use plastic fishbowl containers for your displays. If your store offers a more laid back atmosphere and you want to add elegant charm to your displays, select glass fishbowl containers.

Fishbowls come in a variety of sizes, so you can choose which ones will work best with the amount of space you have work with. For example, if you plan to create a countertop display with your fishbowls but don’t have much countertop space, choose a few small fishbowl containers or one or two larger versions.

Other display tools, such as wire display racks, work well with fishbowls. You can find these racks big enough for floor displays and small enough for countertop displays. You can use any kind of fishbowl with these display racks as long as they securely sit on the racks, but because display racks slightly increase the chances of accidents (such as a customer bumping into them), plastic fishbowls might be your best option.

Use Fishbowl Containers to Create a Countertop Display

Like traditional square or round plastic containers, plastic fishbowl containers are ideal tools for creating countertop displays. These spheres are perfect for displaying small candies as well as non-edible items like key chains, matchbooks, and lighters.

The size and number of fishbowls you use for your display will depend on how much countertop space you have. Choose the material of your fishbowls – plastic or glass – based on the amount of traffic your countertop area experiences as well as the kind of visual appeal you’re trying to create. Plastic works best for countertop areas that see high volumes of traffic, while glass adds more elegance to your display.

And, keep in mind you can use wire display racks to make the most of your countertop space (see below).

Pair Fishbowl Containers with Floor Wire Display Racks

If your countertop doesn’t offer a lot of space, or you’d rather spread your fishbowl displays throughout your store, you can use wire display racks. Wire display racks are available in designs suitable for both countertop displays and floor displays.

Choose wire display racks designed for countertop displays if your countertop doesn’t offer much room, or you simply want to make the most of the room it does offer. These racks generally come with one to three shelves and are ideal for small fishbowls filled with small candies or mini add-on items.

Wire display racks designed for floor displays offer numerous shelves and are great for showcasing additional small items at the end of your aisles next to larger, similar displays. For example, you might want to create a display of travel-sized hygiene products next to your larger display of full-sized items.

Keep in mind that placing your fishbowls on wire display racks means they’re higher off the ground, so you might want to choose plastic fishbowls for these displays.

Create Countertop Displays with Fishbowl Containers

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Countertop displays of add-on merchandise like candy, convenience items, and travel-sized hygiene products are essential for any store with a countertop. And, if your business has a countertop, you have a need for fishbowl container displays!

If you operate any of the following kinds of businesses, consider learning more about using fishbowl containers to create a countertop display:

A convenience store or gas station.

A small local grocery store or a large national chain super center.

A bakery, yogurt shop, or ice cream parlor.

A toy store.

A bookstore.

A hobby shop.

Fishbowl Containers Offer Versatility

Like traditional round or square display containers, fishbowls offer a great amount of versatility. Fishbowl containers:

Are available in glass or plastic form, which means you can choose the best material for your store’s environment. Plastic fishbowls are more durable and therefore ideal for fast-paced stores with a lot of traffic, while glass fishbowls are a bit more elegant and offer extra visual appeal for more upscale businesses.

Come in a variety of sizes, so you can select the perfect fishbowl for the kind of merchandise you want to display as well as the amount of countertop space you have to work with.

Are ideal as stand-alone display tools or for paring with other display tools like wire display racks designed for countertop displays. Choose small containers to create a candy display on modest countertop space, large fishbowls for bigger merchandise items on ample countertop space, or make the most of your countertop space by stacking several fishbowls on a wire display rack or two.

Imagine Candy Displays Using Fishbowl Containers

Fishbowl containers are the perfect display tools for a wide variety of candies. You can use fishbowls to organize and display:

Suckers and lollipops.

Individual pieces of bubblegum or small packs of chewing gum.

Small pieces of traditional kinds of hard candies in flavors like butterscotch, peppermint, strawberry, grape, lemon, or cherry.

Fun candies like Jawbreakers, Tootsie Rolls, Jolly Ranchers, Laffy Taffy, Smarties.

Keep in mind that most fishbowls don’t come with lids, so it’s best to choose candies for your countertop fishbowl display that are complete with protective wrappers, such as wrapped candies purchased in bulk at wholesale prices.

Showcase Other Add-On Items with Fishbowl Containers

Unless you operate a candy store, chances are high that your business sells more than just candy or other small edible items. Good news – you can use fishbowl containers to display virtually any kind of merchandise small enough to fit inside them!

Depending on the kind of store you manage, consider these ideas:

Use your fishbowls to display souvenir items such as small figurines bearing your state’s name or related logo for travelers or sentimental residents.

Fill these containers with convenience items in high demand like matchbooks, lighters, eyeglass repair kits, all-in-one pocket tools, or travel-sized sewing kits.

Display travel-sized hygiene products like small bottles of shampoo, conditioner, soap, toothpaste, lotion, and deodorant.

Does Your Business Use Fishbowl Containers?

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If your business isn’t using fishbowl containers, it should be! These cousins of the traditional round plastic containers you often see in candy shops and convenience stores are certainly useful for doing more than just holding fish and offer a convenient, attractive display option for a variety of businesses.

Fishbowls come in both glass and plastic, so you can choose the material that best suits your business’s environment. For example, if you manage a gas station that sees a great deal of steady traffic, or you operate a candy store and excited children make up the bulk of your customer base, choose plastic fishbowl containers. If your establishment operates at a slower pace or you’re looking for a more elegant feel for your display, consider glass fishbowl containers.

You can also find fishbowls in a variety of sizes, which means no matter how much space you have to work with, there’s a fishbowl for you! For example, if you manage a store with little countertop space to spare, you can use one or two small fishbowls or just one large fishbowl. If you’re running a display at a trade show and have a fairly large table to work with, you can choose several large fishbowl containers.

Candy Stores and Other Retail Businesses

From candy stores and gift shops to convenience stores and gas stations, virtually every kind of retail business can use fishbowl containers. If you manage a:

Candy store, bakery, yogurt shop, or ice cream parlor, you can use fishbowls to organize and display candy or yogurt or ice cream toppings.

Convenience store or gas station, you can use these containers to hold candy like gumballs, Jawbreakers, or suckers, or non-edible items like matchbooks, key chains, or small all-in-one pocket tools.

Gift shop, hobby shop, or bookstore, you can use containers shaped like fishbowls to display small kinds of merchandise like bookmarks, ink stamps, buttons, or travel sewing kits.

Restaurants and Other Food Industry Businesses

Restaurants and other food industry businesses like taverns or “bar and grill” establishments can use fishbowl containers to display food items like after dinner mints or small packets of seasonings and condiments.

They can also situate their fishbowls on each individual dinner table, on the countertop, or near the registers to collect tips from patrons.

Some restaurants hold drawings or raffles for free meals and these restaurants can use fishbowls to collect the business cards of customers who wish to enter.

Amusement Parks and Other Unconventional Businesses

Obviously, amusement parks, theme parks, and carnivals can use fishbowls to hold fish they offer as prizes, but these businesses often use these round plastic containers to collect tickets for rides or games or tokens the patrons have collected for prizes. Parks and carnivals also use clear fishbowls to display candies for sale or additional prize options like miniature figurines or small plush toys.

Other folks who can use fishbowls include entrepreneurs who attend trade shows, people in the fundraising business, and charities. These containers are great for displaying small merchandise items or free gifts, as well as collecting donations for charitable causes.

How Can You Use Fishbowl Containers in Your Business?

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Long gone have been the days that clear fishbowl containers were intended solely for holding fish. These days, a number of businesses use fishbowls to display merchandise, collect tips, and overall make their customers’ experiences more convenient.

These tasks become even easier thanks to the variety of sizes and styles. Depending on the purpose of your fishbowl you can find small, medium, and large sizes, and depending on your business’s environment you can choose plastic or glass fishbowls.

Two kinds of businesses that can especially use fishbowl containers are retails stores and restaurants.

Retail Stores Use Fishbowl Containers as Display Tools

When you think of display containers for your retail store, traditional round or square containers made of glass or plastic are probably the first kinds that come to your mind; however, fishbowl containers are extremely popular choices and offer as much durability and versatility as common plastic containers.

Convenience stores, gas stations, grocery stores, hobby shops, gift shops, bookstores – these are all examples of retail businesses that can use fishbowl containers to better organize and display their merchandise. If you operate any of these kinds of stores, think about the following ways you can use these containers:

Arrange fishbowl containers on your store’s countertop. Countertop displays are crucial for any business with a countertop. Fishbowl containers are available in several sizes; choose the one that best fits the countertop space you have to work with and create a display to showcase some of your store’s best add-on merchandise.

Situate your fishbowl containers on wire display racks. Like fishbowls, wire display racks come in a variety of styles and sizes and you can find them designed for both floor and countertop display purposes. Choose fishbowl containers in sizes appropriate for your wire display racks, or order wire display racks to in sizes that will suit your fishbowls.

Restaurants Use Fishbowl Containers to Increase Customer Convenience

Fishbowl containers are excellent tools for storing and displaying merchandise, but they’re also great ways to increase your customers’ convenience if you operate any kind of restaurant, tavern, or “bar and grill” establishment.

If you manage one of these kinds of businesses, consider the following ideas for using fishbowl containers to increase your customers’ convenience:

Situate a medium-sized, round fishbowl container at individual tables, along your countertop, or near your register to collect tips from customers. Many kinds of restaurants accept tips from customers, and these containers offer an easier and safer alternative to leaving tips on the tables or countertops.

Use small fishbowls to hold additional meal items such as seasonings, condiments, and after dinner mints. Packets of salt, pepper, sugar, sweetener, ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise fit perfectly inside small fishbowl containers and placing them on each of your restaurant’s tables helps ensure customers always have what they need.

Use small or medium-sized fishbowls to hold non-edible items such as complimentary matchbooks with your restaurant’s logo or small drawing pads and crayons to keep children occupied while they wait for their food.

Ordering Wholesale Bulk Candies for Your Candy Store

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If you operate a candy store or are planning on opening a candy store, chances are high that you’re in the market for wholesale bulk candies. But how do you get started? Where do you begin?

Below are several of the most popular kinds of bulk candies you can find at wholesale prices. Consider your candy store and the kinds of customers you expect to do business with as you select the best candies for your business.

Wrapped and Unwrapped Candies

When ordering wholesale bulk candies for your candy store, you’ll find that wrapped candies and unwrapped candies offer the widest variety of selections. You can find these candies in traditional popular types like gumballs, Jolly Ranchers, Skittles, M&Ms, and Jawbreakers, or more novelty or specialty types like saltwater taffy.

You have a variety of choices when it comes to displaying your bulk wrapped and unwrapped candies. Colored acrylic bins and clear plastic containers positioned on wire display racks throughout your store or on your countertop are convenient ways to display your candy for your customers. You can even situate the containers as stand-alone countertop displays without the racks.

Keep in mind that if you’re display bulk unwrapped candies, you need a little extra protection to keep them fresh and safe from debris. Make sure you look at containers with lids as well as pair aluminum or plastic scoops with the displays.

Gourmet Candies

Some children do enjoy candies like chocolate-covered peanuts and pretzels, but if your store does most of its business with a mature customer base, gourmet candies are definitely the way to go. Chocolate-covered coffee and espresso beans, for example, aren’t the best choices for kids; many adults, however, love them!

You can display your bulk wholesale gourmet candies in many of the same ways you’d display more traditional candies; however, because these candies are gourmet, you might want to consider trading the plastic containers in for glass jars, and – depending on the style of your store – switching wire display racks for stylish wooden baskets and shelves.

Pre-Filled Candy Displays

Is your store just starting out? Or, do you not have enough time to create your own candy displays? Maybe you should think about pre-filled candy displays.

Pre-filled candy displays are available stocked with a wide variety of candies and styles perfect for every kind of business. Consider these popular pre-filled candy display options:

Gumball Machines: Gumball machines are classic pre-filled candy displays and ideal for every business from convenience stores and grocery stores to gift shops and bookstores; naturally, they’re perfect for candy stores! You can find these machines designed to stand on your floor or sit on your countertop, and they’re available with as few as one head and as many as eight heads. Gumball machines are also available in a wide variety of styles. For example, you can find them in fun designs like rocket ships and with clear stands so your customers can see their gumballs whizzing down to meet them!

Lollipop Displays: Lollipop displays generally come in “tree” designs for floor displays or plastic or cardboard containers for countertop displays. You can find these displays pre-filled with an assortment of lollipops or suckers, and once they’re empty you can refill them with new suckers or reuse the containers for an entirely different purpose.

Wall, Floor, and Countertop Displays: You can find pre-filled candy displays made of plastic containers situated on wire display racks or wooden baskets situated on wooden trees or shelves and designed to sit on your store’s floor, hang on a wall, or sit on a countertop. Note that you can also find pre-filled candy floor displays large enough to act as entire aisles in your store.

Starting a Bakery? Don't Forget These Important Containers!

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It might seem like there are as many acrylic and plastic containers for holding your bakery’s baked goods as there are baked goods in your bakery! Because of this, choosing the best containers for your bakery might feel a bit overwhelming.

Don’t worry. Below are brief descriptions of some of the most common kinds of containers designed for use in bakeries. Consider the kinds of baked goods your bakery sells to help you choose the best containers for displaying those goods.

Bagel Bins

Bagel bins do exactly what their name suggests. They organize, store, and display your store’s bagels.

However, bagel bins can display much more than just bagels. Depending on the kind of baked goods your bakery sells, you can use bagel bins to hold cupcakes, cookies, pieces of cake, brownies, dinner rolls, and croissants in your bagel bins.

Bread Boxes

Like bagel bins, bread boxes function exactly the way their name implies. They organize, store, and display your store’s breads. You can find acrylic roll top bread boxes with as few as one shelf, or horizontal or vertical acrylic bread boxes with several shelves.

Also like bagel bins, bread boxes are multifunctional. You don’t have to display just bread in a bread box; you might want to showcase bagels, muffins, cupcakes, or cookies in these boxes, too.

Bakery Cabinets

Think of bakery cabinets as the larger, more involved cousins of bagel bins and bread boxes.

Bakery cabinets are generally made of acrylic and large enough to hold either many more baked good items than bagel bins or bread boxes, or larger baked good items like entire loafs of bread. You can find bakery cabinets with as few as one or two cabinets or as many as six or more cabinets.

Pie Cases

If your bakery sells pies, you must have a pie case or two to display them!

Pie cases are generally sturdy acrylic display containers with several shelves for holding the pies. Pie cases have rear hinged doors so you can easily remove the pies your customers want to purchase, and they’re often in hexagon shapes designed to best fit the pies. Countertops are the best places to situate pie cases because they offer you the easiest access when you need to put pies in them – and take them out!

Gravity Bins

Because much of their baked goods consist of breakfast items, bakeries often sell other breakfast items like cereal. If this sounds like your bakery, you must look into containers that will properly organize, store, and display those items.

Cereals, for example, are best contained in gravity bins. These bins are designed to either hang on your wall or mount to your countertop, and they allow your customers to dispense as much cereal as they want while keeping the rest of the product fresh and safe from contamination.

Plexi Displays

Maybe you plan to sell more than just baked goods in your bakery, such as unwrapped candies. Or, perhaps you plan to offer your customers the freedom of choosing their own cupcake toppings and decorations.

Whatever the case, consider plexi displays with enough drawers to hold all the extra items you need to display.

Traditional Plastic Containers

Traditional plastic containers are perfect for every kind of business – bakeries included!

These containers come in a variety of shapes, sizes and styles, and for food cleanliness and customer convenience, you can find handgrip containers, containers with lids, and containers with aluminum and plastic scoops.

Pre-Filled Candy Displays: Learn Your Options

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Pre-filled candy displays are perfect for every kind of retail business. Candy stores, gas stations, convenience stores, bookstores, gift shops, even hotels and motels – they’re all perfect places to situate a pre-filled candy display. Just as importantly, pre-filled candy displays are perfect for:

New stores that need help stocking before Opening Day.

Established stores that want to add candy to their merchandise selection but don’t have the time to hand select each and every piece and display.

If your store falls into one of those categories, it’s time to take a look at your pre-filled candy display options.

Gumball Machines

A gumball machine is probably one of the most popular candy displays around. These machines are perfect for nearly every kind of business – from convenience stores and grocery stores to actual candy stores and other specialty shops – and they’re available in an assortment of sizes and styles.

The kind of machine you choose will depending on where you want to situate it and how much space you have to work with. You can find single-head gumball machines designed to sit on your countertop or stand on the floor, or you can find elaborate displays with as many as eight heads. You can even find gumball machines in fun styles like rocket ships and designed to show the gumballs rolling down the escape!

Lollipop Displays

A lollipop display is another popular kind of candy display for various businesses.

Traditional lollipop trees work best for stores that have room for floor displays, but you can find lollipop displays made of an assortment of sucker styles and flavors situated within decorated cardboard containers or acrylic bins. These kinds of lollipop displays are best for stores that plan to situate the displays on their countertops.

Plastic Containers

Plastic containers pre-filled with candy are excellent choices if you simply want to display candy on your countertop as add-on merchandise at checkout. You can find these plastic containers pre-filled with an assortment of candies including gumballs, Jawbreakers, Tootsie Rolls, Sugar Babies, and Strawberry Bon Bons.

Keep in mind that once you’ve sold all the candy in your pre-filled plastic candy containers, you can either refill them with more candy to sell or use them for another purpose entirely!

Wall, Floor, and Countertop Displays

These kinds of pre-filled candy displays take plastic containers to the next level. They are generally comprised of plastic candy containers or buckets filled with popular candies and situated on display racks small enough to showcase on your countertop, large enough to use as floor displays, or designed to hang as a wall display.

If your store has enough room, you might want to consider even larger floor candy displays. These displays are tall enough and wide enough to act as focal points on your store’s floor or even entire aisles.

Wooden Baskets and Racks

Wooden baskets and racks pre-filled with candies are the more rustic versions of traditional candy displays made of plastic containers and wire racks. Most often, you can find these wooden baskets and racks designed as “tree” displays sized for both floor and countertop displays, or floor displays of wooden racks that hold the baskets on shelves.

5 Tips for Shopping for Candy Store Supplies

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So, you’re thinking of opening a candy store. Or, maybe you already have a candy store, but you need some ideas for giving the place a facelift. Whether you’ve yet to schedule the Grand Opening or you just want to freshen up your existing establishment, below are five tips to help you shop for supplies best suited for your candy store.

Tip #1: Know Your Store

First, you need to get to know your candy store – or the candy store you want to operate. Ask yourself the following questions:

What kind of candy store do you want to operate? Will it have a particular theme, color scheme, or overall “feel”?

How much space will you have to work with inside your store? Will there be room outside the building for outdoor displays?

Will you candy store have any special features? For example, will your business have an area set aside where customers can sit and snack on the candy they’ve just purchased?

Tip #2: Know Your Customers

Second, you need to know what kind of customers you plan to cater to. Candy stores generally appeal to two main kinds of customers:

Children and families who prefer “fun” kinds of candies.

Adults who have more mature tastes in candies.

Tip #3: Choose the Candy You Want to Sell

In order to choose the kind of candy you want to sell in your store, you need to look again at the first and second tips. Consider your candy store’s “theme” as well as the kind of customer base you plan to cater to.

If you plan to operate a fun, fast-paced candy store that does most of its business with children and families, consider selling popular traditional candies like gumballs, Jawbreakers, lollipops, Jelly Beans, and Tootsie Rolls.

If you plan to operate a more mature establishment that caters mostly to adults, consider candies like gourmet chocolates, including chocolate-covered nuts, pretzels, cherries, and coffee and espresso beans.

Tip #4: Think About the Best Candy Displays

Now that you’re familiar with your candy store, the kinds of customers you plan to have, and the types of candies you want to sell, you’re ready to choose the candy displays that will best suit your business.

Most all candy stores can use display items like glass and plastic containers, colored acrylic bins, and floor and countertop display racks; however, depending on your candy store’s theme and the kinds of customers you expect, you can choose versions of these display tools that best suit your store.

For example, if your store will do business mostly with children and families, colored acrylic containers and bright display racks for your floors and countertop might be best. You can even add additional fun display items like gumball machines and lollipop trees.

Gumball machines and lollipop displays might also work for older customers, but if you plan to have a more mature customer base, you might want to choose wooden baskets and display racks and glass candy jars in lieu of plastic and wire.

Tip #5: Shop for True Wholesale Candy Prices

You’re familiar with your store, your customers, and the kind of candies you want to sell and how you want to display those candies. Now it’s time to make sure you stock your store with those candies at true wholesale prices.

As you're shopping for wholesale candy, make sure you compare the prices of several different candy retailers. Some companies will claim to offer wholesale prices on bulk candies, but further shopping around will prove these prices aren’t true wholesale at all.

Where Can You Use Lollipop Displays?

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There is certainly no shortage of lollipop enthusiasts – customers young and old love these sweet treats! No matter what kind of business you operate, situating a lollipop display is a great way to put this favored candy in the limelight and increase your sales.

Can Your Business Use Lollipop Displays?

In a nutshell – yes! Whether you’re in the business of selling candy, clothing, toys, or hospitality services, your establishment can use lollipop displays. These displays are great for encouraging add-on items at checkout counters or simply putting a smile on a child’s face. Consider these options for using lollipop displays in your business:

Candy Stores: It goes without saying that no candy store is complete without a lollipop display!

Convenience Stores/Gas Stations: These establishments cater to travelers and on-the-go shoppers who need quick snacks for themselves and their children.

Toy Stores: Children love lollipops, so it only makes sense to include lollipop trees as part of your merchandise selection.

Bookstores: Bookstores often sell small edible items near their registers, and lollipops are definitely easy snacks for your customers to maneuver while they’re reading the books they just purchased.

Restaurants: Restaurants might want to situate a lollipop display near their checkout registers for families with children or adults who like low-calorie sweet treats after dinner.

Hotels/Motels: The lobbies and dining areas of hotels and motels are convenient, visible places to display lollipops for sale.

Gift Shops: Many gift shops include small sweet treats as add-on options for gift purchases.

Which Lollipop Display Is Best for Your Business?

Consider the kind of business you operate and the amount of space you have to work with as you’re thinking about which lollipop display is best for your business.

Establishments that have plenty of floor space to work with can use tall, lollipop trees. These convenient, space-saving trees can come with as many as a hundred or more lollipops and are great for businesses that wish to situate their displays in high-traffic areas like hotel lobbies, children’s toy aisles, and close to checkout registers.

Lollipop displays also come in compact countertop displays. You can find

Colored or clear plastic container displays filled with an assortment of suckers.

Decorated cardboard lollipop displays filled with specialized or novelty lollipops.

Keep in mind that you can easily refill these displays once they’re empty, or use the containers for another purpose altogether. You can also find additional pre-filled candy containers to complement your countertop lollipop displays. Not only is this an excellent way to offer your customers add-on merchandise to purchase, but it also offers additional options for customers who might not like candy with sticks like lollipops and suckers.

For example, if your lollipop display consists of Jawbreaker suckers, you might want to also add a wooden basket display filled with regular Jawbreakers. Similarly, if your lollipop display offers suckers with bubblegum in the center, you can situate it close to a round plastic container filled with gumballs.