Candy Warehouse - A Candy Lover's Heaven
Written: Jun 23 '02 (Updated Jun 23 '02)
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Hi. My name is Alex and I am a Danish Ribbon junkie. Not exactly the best way to introduce yourself, but if I get any more hooked on these delicious pieces of fruit leather or at shopping at Candy Warehouse I might find myself uttering those words at some Willy Wonka 12 Step program. I spent a considerable amount of time looking for Danish Ribbons [also known as Delfa Rolls] on the internet and finally found them at Candy Warehouse. The selection of products is enormous and the prices are better than retail. The downside is that you have to buy the items by the case and with some of the products they sell that could mean having 12, 24, 48 or more candy goodies waiting in the closet to sabotage your diet.
Site Navigation
I won’t lie – the site is rather plain. Then again, when you have a great customer service team and products that are guaranteed fresh – you can do without the glitz and heavy graphics. It is easy to get around the site and the search engine is a great tool. The site is geared towards product listings as well as descriptions, costs and packaging. All the items you will come across have an accurate photo and description with them - but if you are a little confused, don’t hesitate to contact customer service to assistance. In most cases you are given the number of items in the lot [the number in the case], cost per piece and any special information such as flavors or sizes.
The site is broke down into several sections and you can browse it from many different angles. You can look at products by manufacturer [Hershey, Jelly Belly, Brach’s], type of candy [hard, chocolate, novelty], seasonal items [Easter, Halloween, Christmas] or by price range. It is very easy to get lost when you start looking for one item and see something else of interest so if you manage to get sidetracked you can always click the Candy Warehouse logo at the top of the page to go back to the main page.
Gift Certificates
Gift certificates come in three denominations; $35.00, $70.00 and $100.00. These make great gifts for teachers, candy collectors and just about anyone with a sweet tooth. I’ve given these a few times and they have always been a big hit although some people had no idea how to redeem a gift certificate online. So far I’ve managed to get a few people hooked on the site just by giving the gift certificates instead of cash or a useless gadget.
Newsletter
If you are true candy enthusiast, you might want to check out the cool newsletter they offer via email absolutely free. They contain sales, special offers, new products added to the site as well as the introduction of new products worldwide. No need to worry about getting bombarded with spam or unwanted email – they’ll never sell your information to anyone else. And for those ultra paranoid folks, there’s a link at the bottom of every newsletter that allows you to unsubscribe to the newsletter if it no longer suits your fancy.
Candy of The Month Club
I was totally blown away when I came across this part of the site. Just as the name of the section implies – this is a six month program where you or a friend receives a box of candy shipped from the site the first day of each month. There are three different packages to choose from and prices range from $99.00 to $259.00 shipping fees included! You can also opt to have a gift card sent with each box and you can contact the customer service department if you need a more personalized message sent with the monthly shipment. .
Selection
Chances are that if you are looking for a particular candy – it will be listed at the site. There are some pretty big names listed on the front page of the site and the more you dig the more you’ll find. Jelly Belly, Wonka, Jolly Rancher, Hershey, Trolli, Ghiradelli, Callard & Bowser and Nestle. This is the first candy site I check when looking to make a purchase online for gifts or to satisfy my sweet tooth – and the number one reason for my dedication is the massive number of products that they stock.
In addition to all these big names there are a tremendous number of old fashions candies such as peppermint sticks, Bazooka bubble gum, candy necklaces, Lemon Heads, Boston Baked Beans and Swedish Fish. To top it all off they also carry sugar free candies and chocolates as well as low carb items.
Custom Candy
If you own a company and are looking for a great way to advertise your name you may want to check out this section. For $325.00 you can have your company logo or name placed in the center of a piece of candy that is wrapped in clear cellophane. You can choose from any of the 35 delicious flavors that Candy Warehouse offers and have them delivered lickety split – well – in about three to four weeks. This is a great marketing tool to keep your name on the tip of your customer’s tongues. The end price per piece of candy is a about 8 cents – talk about cheap advertising! They will do all the set up work necessary to put your logo or company name on the candy at no extra charge as well.
Prices
On average, the prices here are extremely reasonable. There are some candy products that I just can’t find in this area so I have to order them from Candy Warehouse. Look at it this way – anything you find at the site will be cheaper than what you would pay at a retail store. I almost fell over when we went to the movies and I saw a candy cart with a orange neon said that said “CANDY $1.99” – what you don’t see immediately is that it’s $1.99 per quarter pound. That means you will be paying almost $8.00 for a pound of candy? Sorry for those prices I better be getting imported chocolates hand fed to me by a scantily clad Greek god.
There is a $35.00 minimum on all orders and this does not include the shipping fee. If you fall a little short on reaching the minimum amount there is a cool section called “Candy Under $10.00” where you can pick up smaller lots of candy.
Here are a few examples of products I’ve purchased and the prices that Candy Warehouse charges for them. The last set of numbers in parenthesis is the retail cost of what you would pay for the item at a grocery store.
Charms Sweet Pops: 48 count box $7.68 = .16 cents each
[.25 - .30 cents each]
Baby Bottle Pops: 20 count box $20.60 = $1.03 each
[$1.00 – $1.50 each]
Mike & Ike Boxes: 36 count box $7.20 = .20 cents each
[.20 - .40 cents each]
Wonka Bars: 18 count box $26.10 = $1.45 each
[$1.99 each]
Razzles: 36 count box $ 25.20 = .70 cents each
[.99 - $1.25 each]
To me these prices are more than reasonable unless the candy is on sale at the grocery store for 3 / $1.00 or 4 / $1.00 but sometimes you aren’t sure how old the candy is. Still, chocolate is chocolate and even if it’s a little old its still pretty good :]
Methods of Payment
You can pay for your order with MasterCard, Visa, American Express or Discover Card. If you would like to pay with a check our money order please contact the customer service department to make arrangements. If you will be picking up and order you have to pay for it first. I have always used my MasterCard for purchases and have never had any trouble with over billing or double billing. I’ve never had to return a product so I don’t know how long it takes for them to issue a credit back to your card.
Shipping Fees
This is probably the most complicated portion of the site for those that don’t purchase things over the internet. There are various ways to get your goods from their warehouse to your front door, but be forewarned; in some cases it won’t be cheap. Since you are dealing with something that is extremely fragile, your items need to be shipped quickly and with care. Candy Warehouse uses Federal Express for their shipments with FedEx Ground being the most common of the shipping options. Shipping depends on how far you live from the warehouse and how quickly you need your order. The price of your shipping fees is gauged by weight – but large packages may cost more due to the space it takes up. If you need your order quickly you can upgrade to FedEx Two Day or Next Day delivery – but you will be responsible for all shipping costs.
Depending on the overall price of the shipment, Candy Warehouse may use UPS to deliver your goods. They will check to see who has the best price available use that company to ship your products. So far all of my deliveries have arrived via Federal Express.
You have the option to pick up your order at the warehouse but it must be paid for ahead of time. If you will be picking up an order please make a note of it when you place your order online or on the telephone. If you are ordering mass quantities and live within a 15 – 30 mile radius of the warehouse you can save some cash on shipping fees. I am hoping to make it up to the warehouse in late October to pick up Halloween candy. They have a tremendous amount of seasonal candy as well as rarities like Gummi Mummies and chocolate eyeballs.
Return Policy
If you receive an item that isn’t exactly what you expected you can return it for a full refund minus the shipping fees. There is no need to call and get a RMA [return merchandise authorization] code but you should clearly mark the order number on the outside of the box. To expedite things you should call or fax them to let them know you will be returning a portion of the shipment. Chocolate and meltable items are not returnable. Just as chocolate changes when it is frozen it can also be slightly damaged when exposed to higher degrees of heat than normal. If you have ever seen chocolate that has a white haze to it – that is call ‘bloom’ [when the cocoa butter slightly separates from the chocolate and leaves a haze or streaks on the surface]. Chances are casual munchers of chocolate won’t notice a difference in the taste but junkies will.
If you received an item that was shipped in error or received the wrong item Candy Warehouse will refund the shipping fees as well as send out the correct order as soon as possible. I’ve never had a problem with receiving the wrong item but this is a pretty big outfit and mistakes do happen. If you have a question about what you have received please look over your confirmation letter or call the customer service team for more information.
Contact Information
Candy Warehouse
5314 Third Street
Irwindale, CA 91706
[626] 480-0899 – telephone
[626] 480-0818 - faxsales@candywarehouse.comorderstatus@candywarehouse.com
http://www.candywarehouse.com
Please note: Candy Warehouse has adapted to the summer hours schedule. Customer service representatives are available to help you from 8:00 am – 5:00 PST.
The Bottom Line
Pound for pound [no pun] this is one of the best candy sites I have come across. The products I have ordered have come professionally packaged, 100% fresh and factory sealed to preserve that freshness. When I was in the midst of my Delfa Roll search I called and asked them if they stocked them since it hadn’t showed up when I used the search feature. A warm laughter came through the phone and the friendly voice said “Honey, they are called Danish Ribbons as well”. Since them – I’ve been hooked. If you are looking for an older candy that brings back memories or need to fill a piñata for a birthday party I highly suggest that Candy Warehouse be the first place you check online for your needs.
You won’t be treated like a customer, you’ll be treated like a friend.
Thanks for the visit!
^V^ Freak ^V^
Recommended:
Yes
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