Bulk confectionery, pick and mix candy,candy walls, or simply loose candy is a retailing strategy where various types of confectionery are sold together in a large containers or in separate bins, allowing customers to select the assortment and quantity they prefer. Typically used in vending machines or confectionery retailers, this method involves dispensing candy by weight or piece count. This method has a global presence, with variations in practice and terminology across regions.
Bulk confectionery (Swedish: lösgodis) dates back to the 1930s, when Swedish agriculture became self sufficient in refined sugar. That made sugar cheap, and candies accessible to almost entire population. [1] In 1984, the Swedish National Food Agency (Livsmedelsverket) approved selling it in ordinary larger stores, provided that the candy varieties are kept in separate containers and picked with a scoop or a smaller bucket. [2] The widespread availability of bulk confectionery is the main reason Sweden has the highest candy consumption in the world. [3]
Self-serve loose candy walls were introduced by two Finnish students educated in Stockholm, Sweden. They developed the idea in Helsinki, Finland, in the early 1980s. [4] [5] Since then it has started to spread all around the world, mostly in Europe and Asia. Even some IKEA stores in North America have started to sell mostly Swedish varieties but also American classics. [6]
Swedes had the highest per capita candy consumption in the world since at least 2009. [7] [8] [9] Maundy Thursday is the biggest selling day in grocery stores. In Sweden, about 18 kilograms (40 lb) of candy are consumed per person per year (as of 2014). [10]
The first penny candy to be sold in the United States was the Tootsie Roll, in 1907, followed by Necco Wafers and Hershey's Kisses in subsequent decades. Bulk-sale of candy in the 20th century US was mainly through the F.W. Woolworth Company’s five and dime store chain, which closed in the 1990s, marking an end in popularity of the phenomenon. [11]
Vid mitten av 1800-talet blev Sverige självförsörjande på sockerbetor. Det gjorde att sockret blev billigt och därmed tillgängligt – alla hade råd att köpa godis. Vid sekelskiftet hade Sverige över 100 karamellfabriker.[In the mid-19th century, Sweden became self-sufficient in sugar beet. This made sugar cheap and therefore accessible - everyone could afford to buy sweets. By the turn of the century, Sweden had over 100 candy factories.]
Sedan lösgodiset introducerades på 1980-talet har godiskonsumtionen i Sverige ökat från 10 till 15 kg per person och år. Idag äter svenskarna mest godis i hela världen.[Since the introduction of bulk confectionery in the 1980s, candy consumption in Sweden has increased from 10 to 15 kg per person per year. Today, Swedes eat the most candy in the world.]
But if any one particular country knows its candy, it's Sweden, whose residents, according to a study by the Swedish Board of Agriculture, eat more per year per capita — more than thirty pounds per person each — than the citizens of any other nation.