Candy's daily Dandy

It's THAT time of year..

It's inevitable. The temperatures are changing which means that sure as sh*t-we are all gonna get sick. And sure as sh*t, Monday night, on my drive home from work I noticed I had sprouted a sore throat that wasn't letting up. Christ! I can't get sick this week! My store manager is on vacation which means I HAVE to be at work for the next 8 days-sick or not. I had to think fast. If gone unattended, this could be an emergency of epic proportions.

Did I just say emergency? I think I did and that is exactly what came to mind when I decided Mr. Cold was asking to come into my body from the cold. I had some Emergen-C  at home and I knew this would be weapon of choice against the dastardly cold knocking at my door. I made the Emergen-C with hot water, because by now, not only is my throat sore but I am feeling a chill down to my bones.

It tasted good.
It made my throat feel better.
All of a sudden I wasn't so cold anymore.
The question was-did I kill the cold?

1000 mg of Vitamin C is no joke, (besides all the other sugar and crap that it is comprised of) and two days later I am still hitting the Emergen-C two times a day. But am I sick with a cold? A little.. slight congestion, sore throat gone...no fever and I'm up and feeling OK. I think it may have worked to shorten the duration of this cold. Hey! How about that?

I'm not taking any chances though. I figure a day or two more of this remedy, rest and taking it easy and we may not have an emergency on our hands.

As a shopper and retailer, I am constantly looking into new ways to motivate and understand the reasons that shoppers shop. What brings you to a store? What causes you to purchase and what makes you go weak in the knees-thereby igniting your emotional response to an item you want to buy?

Need is truly personal-if you need something, that sends you out on a mission-ie; the need for something. While you are there or on your way to your need based destination, what causes you to stop and look? Is it a sale sign? Is it a gorgeous feature of a product? Or is it a retail store that literally pops and causes you to inquire within?

Want is another thing entirely. I, for example, could be shopping for something I need and suddenly I am distracted by something I want. That's when the emotion part of the equation comes into play and I usually figure how to justify want over need. Do I really need another something or other? But I really want it! The answer to that, if you are me is YES!

Next up is value. Value and affordability sort of go hand in hand, so if I score a great item on sale, I am happy that I have acquired the item at a great value. Who wouldn't be? But items that are not on the 'great value' spectrum but score high on the want spectrum make a shopper stop and think before they buy. We reason and justify an expensive purchase which makes us evaluate the quality of the item, an important factor too. Value can make or break a purchase decision.

Last is the most influential of all variables in the equation. EMOTION! Shoppers are nothing if not influenced by emotion. Like the $1600.00 Valentino boots I saw on line. Lord knows I don't need them but I want them! The value is there in the quality and feature of the boots, yet the price makes me hesitate to click the BUY button. But it's the emotion that keeps me thinking about them-so much so that I haven't been able to clear that window on my computer. I keep going to that window on my iPad to look at them every few days, hoping I can x-out of it and go on without them...but I can't. My emotional attachment to boots- that aren't even mine- keep me coming back for more.

These are just a few observations on how I shop. Now I want to know how you shop?

So let's do this, I'm going to put up a poll on the side bar with some answers to see what your shopping habits really are! Take the poll and give me your opinion. You will really be helping me out and doing a bit of community service at the same time.

And if I've ignited a fire within the shopper in you, feel free to visit www.candybarcosmetics.com. 

Being in retail, my ears perked up when I heard about the newest level of price wars between fast food giants McDonald's and Burger King. Last week Burger King announced a dramatic cut in the cost of it's Chicken Nuggets. Burger King is now offering a 10 piece chicken nugget for $1.49. This comes on the heels of McDonald's ultra popular Monopoly game, which has proven to be a traffic driver for the food mecca. So what does McDonald's do? McDonald's "sees" Burger King's $1.49 10 piece Nugget and "raises" with a $5.00 20 piece nugget, plus offers the fan favorite Monopoly game to boot.

What does all this mean?

It means that in the proverbial pie of fast food sales, there are only so many pieces. The loss leader in competitive sales has become an every day thing. So what does all this mean for a little guy like me? It means a heck of a lot and here's why:

• Retailers make 30% of annual revenues during the holiday season. WHAT THAT USED TO MEAN: Shoppers will shop. Period. WHAT THAT MEANS NOW: Retailers need to attract the customer. Even loyal customers.
• For most retailers, the Internet has changed the way we do business. Heck, the internet has changed the world but for retailers that means there is a World Wide Web of competition out there for goods. We must stay competitive to stay in the game. So how do we do that?
• Black Friday used to be the busiest shopping day of the year! Thanks to "Door Busters", Black Friday sales and deep discounts, retailers have to have a strategy to make their numbers and that spells out DISCOUNT. 
• More sales and discounts are a necessity and are now commonplace in a sales plan. And more frequently that ever before.  

So I was in New York yesterday, seeing my baby girl Frick and taking care of some business. While I was there, I experienced something I had never seen before. Snow in the City. Sounds like the title to a  bad HBO series, but it was quite a feat to behold. 

Tis the season....

So I'm watching Sunday Morning yesterday and they did this piece on buying on sale and what it does to your brain. Journalist Mark Elwood, who wrote the book, "Bargain Fever", says we are more conditioned to buying items on sale than we are at full price. Elwood noted when we are presented with a savings when making a purchase, our brains release a chemical that makes us feel good about buying and makes us come back for more. He stated that a decade ago, retailers sold between 15-20%  of their inventory at sale. Today that number is more like 40-45% and rising. 

The dopamine in my brain responded to this. Yes, I could completely relate. Not only do I love to get a bargain, but as a retailer myself, I see an increase in sales when I offer a discount at The Candy Bar. Since Black Friday, I have seen offers of 20-30% off flooding my email inbox daily. I even took advantage of these deals this morning when I shopped at Old Navy and Macy's online. I received 20 and 30% on both purchases AND free shipping! (which I couldn't take advantage of because I worried that they wouldn't be here in time for Xmas) Even during non-holiday times there are coupon sites you can use to apply discounts to your purchases online and we offer discount incentives multiple times throughout the year. It's a must to stay competitive in the retail world.

It really is BUY-agra!  And I'm not calling my physician if the sensation lasts for more than 4 hours either! 

So what does this say about brick and mortar competing with online shopping sites? The jury is still out on that one, but if Cyber Monday's sales totals this year say anything, (the largest online shopping day to date with over $2 BILLION recorded in sales) all signs point to easy access with the click of a mouse. 

It just confirms that an online presence for any retailer is as important as great products at a great value.

Tell me what you think? 

So a friend of mine sent this to me and I loved it! I sooo wanted to share it with you.

So I totally suck today.
I'm crazy at work and  I've got like no time today, so I thought I'd share with you something that has become somewhat ingrained in my mind and my vocabulary.

My kids showed me this and I swear, I watched it once and started quoting "Tray-Say" regularly. Now my friends have caught on and even my employees know about Tracy.

I'm not sure why this stuck with me but it did. You'd think I was more mature than this?
I guess not. Like Tracy says, "What err.."

So It's that time of the year. Time to take stock, so to speak.

Seriously, these next couple of days have got to be the most anticlimactic. The hustle and bustle of the holidays is over. The purpose of going out to run errands has taken on new meaning and the sight of a credit card receipt makes even the wealthiest person wince.

It's also a time to take inventory.

Inventory of the past year, inventory of your life and time to look ahead into the new year, 2013. I hate taking inventory...

But it's necessary.

I'm going to take stock of my store first.
Then I'm going to take stock of my kids next.
Then I'm taking stock of my finances and my life...

And then, ugh..I'm going to have to take inventory of me.

• That "Two Broke Girls" is one of the best shows on TV. That, and "The New Normal". I haven't seen "Glee" in weeks and no time to watch "XFactor" any more. I haven't even watched "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" this season. Too busy.

So this chick pissed me off yesterday.

And here I was thinking I had I left high school years ago.

She basically told me she thought I was ugly. But in a nice way. If that's possible. I couldn't believe it.
And I'm all like,"really bitch? You didn't just say that to me, did you?" "Oh, HELL no!":

Truth is, I didn't say anything back. I didn't say anything back that was mean spirited, like I wanted to. I just kind of chuckled. I casually told her I live by my own rules and I don't care too much about other people's rules or what they think from behind my huge, dazzling smile. I took it like it was no skin off my back. But it was skin off my back. It was hairs standing up on the back of my neck.

Didn't your mother ever tell you that if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all? Really, Bitch? I have to deal with her regularly too because she's kind of a  new colleague. And I hardly giggled when someone else described her as "quirky and flighty". I said nothing because quietly I already knew she was a bitch.

She's completely screwed herself now, because she's dead to me. I'll be cordial because that's what my mom taught me to do, but if she does it again I'll go all Irish on her and then I won't be pretty. She can count on that. My Irish can get very ugly.

Really bitch?

What are we 7 years old? Is she trying to establish her dominance? Believe me toots, I'm not interested in hanging with you "cool kids". I'm all set.

Now I know I'm not ugly.

And this is not a ploy to get you to tell me I'm beautiful in the comments section.This is about a lot more than the way that I look, but I'm so surprised that a grown woman would resort to that type of "bullying". Because I can't think of any other reason for her to say what she said to the new kid on the block. It's kind of shocking. And I said nothing back. Snark deserted me when I needed it most.

That's SO not like me. Let's hope my mojo's not next.

Really bitch?

I'm no different than any other girly girl. I'm not going to deny that I get all giddy at the site of some blingy bling bling. And by blingy bling bling, you know what I mean. That special sparkly arm candy, those 5 finger favorites and a neck dripping with a girl's best friend.  Yes, I am attracted to and distracted by sparkly beauty.

Since I opened the new Candy Bar, I have been selling my special kind of blingy favorites exactly like the ones pictured above and I find myself amazed at the response to these gorgeous beauties. Women LOVE them and these moderately priced bracelets are flying out the door. Now, the fact that women love them isn't what surprises me. Of course they love them. (sparkle) What surprises me is that many of my customers, who report to never wearing jewelry that "isn't real" are snapping them up and squealing with delight. These are women who have gorgeous, custom designed jewelry with precious gems who obviously have great taste.

They love them because not only are they "real", they are fun! Made from precious stone beads like moonstone, agate, lapis and polished coral, beaded alongside Swarovski crystals in white, black, rose and champagne gold these little gems make a nice statement stacked up on the arm of a lady. It has become a sport here, matching and pairing these babies together to create one's own personal style.

My clients tell me their new little jewels of style make them happy! Which makes me happy, and you all know that when mama is happy so is everyone else. And fellas? A little bling under the tree this year isn't a bad idea. Very Me bracelets can be found at The Candy Bar, and the smiles they produce can be found for years to come.

So you might have noticed lately that I've kinda been a sucky blogger.

I'm sorry. Please accept my sincere apologies.

You see, I've been busy with a project, and today I get to reveal why all those days were spent working and not blogging.

I've been working on my new store.


The Candy Bar located at 20 Church Street, Wellesley, MA is finally finished and today I open the doors for business.  I couldn't be prouder.

















I spent the summer searching for my favorite things.

Things I think you'll like and things I know you'll love, and I brought them all together under one roof.



Of course, my old friend Kevyn will be there.




And I've got a few new friends too.



And don't forget about the BLING...girls love BLING!



And when you need to get styled for that special occasion, The Candy Bar will take care of that too.
Welcome to beauty paradise...

Oh yes, and there's one more thing.


We sell candy too, because there's nothing better than that kid in a candy store feeling!


Today I feel like the luckiest person alive. That little girl who loved to play "pretend store" is all growed up.

The love, confidence and support of my family has brought me through to today, and I thank God and them for all the blessings.


I'm living a dream and yes, they really do come true.

Like a kid in a candy store.......

Does the sight of this make you go all giddy and weak in the knees?

I took this picture in Paris, France in 2009 just outside a movie theatre and I remember the excitement of the prospect of being able to put together a whole bag of wonderful. I still feel the same way about candy and right now I'm putting together all my favorites so that I can bring that kind of joy and excitement to my clients.

For me, it goes back to my childhood and a place called, The Dover Country Store, in Dover Ma. The Dover Country Store was a musty antique shop located on a railroad track that my mom used to take us to. Now, one would think that the store, loaded with old antique furniture and goods that were musty and piled atop one another in an old barn would not be a place that a carload of kids would stampede into with joy. But the Dover Country Store also had one of the greatest penny candy shops for miles around and back then the candy really was a penny.

Nothing was greater than hitting up the gorgeous, colorful display with a pocket full of change needing nothing but my imagination and my taste buds. The small brown bag of candy that was mine was then lovingly carried off to some secluded area of the shop, usually where all the rugs were piled atop each other, for further inventory and careful inspection. It was truly the start of "retail therapy" for me. That little brown bag was torn and tattered by the weeks end, from moving it to different hiding locations and from it's rationed and dwindling contents.

Like a kid in a candy store.....

I know that's how my grown up clients feel when they enter The Candy Bar, and now they will be able to re-live some of those precious candy memories from childhood. Maybe their kids will make their own Candy Bar memories, or they will bring someone a Candy Bar gift of candy to make them smile. The option will be theirs and it will be my joy to offer them a little slice of wonderful.

Help me out bloggers! Share your candy favorites and memories.

If it's true that men are from Mars and women are from Venus, then we must really be living on two separate planets. I'm referring to business specifically, but it's also an age old question for the age old battle of the sexes. The answer, it seems is simple; men and women are different. Truth is, it's not really that simple.

Men and women approach business from different perspectives. Both genders can achieve great success, and both genders have unique strengths that can attribute to that success. Because we approach things differently, who's to say there is a template for what equates to success and what does not. Women tend to be more emotional because society encourages a more nurturing woman's role in all aspects of life. So in the workplace or in a position of power is there room for emotion?   Mental toughness is a strength, yet emotion is seen as a weakness? One could argue that it would depend upon the business and the individual, but for some, emotion is what drives their success.

In sales, emotion is paramount to hook your audience. The goal is get them excited about your brand and hopefully emotionally invested in it so that they will come back to you, time and time again. Without emotion, consumers couldn't be brand loyal and vendors couldn't motivate them to trust that brand and spend their money. Picking up on client's emotional cues or hints of unhappiness and responding to them help to keep them happy and build relationships based on trust and respect.

On the other hand, when making business decisions, emotion sometimes can cause frustration and removing the emotion from the situation is best advised for making sound decisions. A "never let them see you sweat", kind of thing, and both genders sweat emotionally in business from time to time. Barking back at a co-worker or spouting off a nasty group email, which seems satisfying in the moment, in retrospect is never a good idea.

We are different, men and women, and as such we handle all kinds of situations from different mindset.

Case in point: Take a look at Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in a room full of men watching the US take out Osama Bin Laden.

A picture is indeed, worth a thousand words.