If I were building a European section I’d go country by country, with Swiss and Belgian chocolate up on the premium and gift shelf and Swedish and German gummies doing the everyday turnover. Dutch and Nordic licorice is for the enthusiasts. Italian nougat and wafers can give you a lift around the holidays. People often rate European chocolate above the domestic stuff and it mostly comes down to more cocoa and finer conching and recipes that haven’t loosened much over the years, which gives an imported line a real point of difference.
Why European candy stands out
European candy tends to carry more cocoa and shorter ingredient lists and there are regional specialties domestic brands simply don’t make, which is honestly most of the case for having an imported section at all, because nobody’s going to price-check a Belgian praline or a bag of salty licorice against the weekly big-box flyer and that keeps your margin where it ought to be.
A country-by-country starter assortment
I’d put Swiss milk chocolate and Belgian pralines in the middle of the chocolate shelf and let German and Swedish gummies and wine gums carry the day-to-day volume. Dutch licorice (drop) and Nordic salmiak are for the enthusiast, the customer who already knows what they’re after. Italian torrone and wafers fit in after that. British wine gums and fudge work too, and maybe a French or Spanish accent here and there just to keep things interesting.
Build the section by origin
In our experience the cleanest way to run an import wall is by country of origin, so we’d begin at imported candy by country and then balance it out by category until every shelf has a bit of chocolate and gummies and licorice sitting on it.
FAQ
Why is European chocolate better than American chocolate?
European chocolate generally has more cocoa in it and gets conched longer for a smoother bite, and it follows recipe rules that haven’t been relaxed much. Shoppers seem to read all of that as better quality, and it really does set imported lines apart from the mass-market domestic brands sitting next to them.
What European candy sells best at retail?
Swiss and Belgian chocolate more or less own the premium and gift shelf, and German and Swedish gummies are what turns over every week. Licorice is its own thing, with a devoted little following that keeps coming back.
