IKEA adding candy shops to all Canadian stores

IKEA is known for their assemble-it-yourself affordable furniture, quirky commercials, and Swedish meatballs. Now the global retailer is looking to sweeten the deal for Canadians by adding candy shops inside their stores nationwide.

The candy section, called Pick and Mix, plays on the Swedish tradition of “Lördagsgodis,” also known as “Saturday candy.” Originating in the 1950s, it’s the practice of loading up on candy and sweets on Saturday, mostly at colourful, enticing candy shops and sections with sugar-loaded bins of treats.

The Toronto Star confirmed recently that IKEA, a Swedish-based business, is launching Pick and Mix in-store sections in Canada this fall. This sweet addition in Canada follows on the heels of the program’s kick-off in the U.S.

Of course, IKEA is not going to be selling candy just on Saturdays. Pick and Mix will be an everyday option at the stores. The Star notes that in the U.S. the sections have about 45 varieties of Swedish candies, like gummies, sours, chocolates, licorice, and marshmallows. In the States, the candies have a one-size-fits-all price of US$7.99 per pound. It is not known what the Canadian pricing will be.

All of the Pick and Mix candies will be made using Swedish recipes, and “will be free of high fructose corn syrup, trans fats and GMOs,” reports The Star.