I've been looking for online bulk Halloween candy suppliers in Canada. I found one or two with a limited selection and high prices, but nothing impressive at truly bulk prices. After relentless searching I could only find true bulk candy suppliers outside of Canada, and the shipping was too high to make an order feasible. In my desperation, I tried to find a Bulk Barn offline in my area but I couldn't find one of those either (take note, British Columbia, there's a bonus franchise idea here).
What I Was Looking For
- Canadian business
- Bulk pricing. Some people don't appear to understand that "bulk" doesn't only mean a large number in a bag, it means volume pricing.
- Reasonable shipping
- Novelty - I like to get at least a few items that are a little different than what is normally found in stores.
- Individually wrapped
The Possibilities in this Niche
A candy store can change with the seasons to become a thriving business all year 'round. Canadians love their candy and many occasions call for it, such as:
- Birthdays, anniversaries & other celebrations calling for a party
- Weddings
- Showers
- Holidays, including Christmas, Halloween and Easter.
- Fundraisers
- Business events
Complimentary Products for Your Bulk Candy Store
- Shoppers will need something to repack the bulk candy in, so stock bulk cellophane bags, tulle, fancy plastic cups, etc.
- Novelty party favours
- Bulk party supplies
- Promote affiliate programs featuring related products, such as costumes.
What You'll Need
- A full understanding of the volume "bulk" profit model.
- Business License
- Health-inspected storage
- Logo
- Domain Name (We use reputable & well-established Dotster)
- Website hosting with e-commerce / catalogue support (Such as Yahoo
, Shopify Ecommerce, or iPage
)
- Scales
- Large food-grade bags
- Printer labels
- Shipping supplies
Bonus Tip: You can offer popular products if you can give shoppers a seriously good bulk candy discount. To really bring them in and encourage orders with a higher profit margin, also stock unique products that may not be easy to find in Canadian retail. Unique items can overcome online sales objections, such as shipping costs. Keep an eye on your local bulk food stores to maintain your originality and competitive pricing.
Please let me know when you have your bulk candy store up and running because I'm still looking!
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Entrepreneur Melody McKinnon holds over 50 certifications in business, marketing, writing, nutrition, biochemistry & general sciences. She provides digital content, marketing & communications services for CanadiansInternet.com Business, AllNaturalPetCare.com and Healing Minerals. Melody also blogs about marketing and consumer relations for Petfood Industry Magazine, and she is the Community Manager for the American Livebearer Association. (More about Melody)
Related: The cash-flow conundrum (it’s more interesting than it sounds)
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