When sweet goes sour

BY TOM JOHNSTON, STAFF WRITER

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The Fannie May Candy Shop in Barrington shut down for good Monday, rounding out a series of recent confectionery closings that could set area residents up for a Valentine's Day crisis.

"That's what I was thinking, 'What am I going to do for Valentine's Day, what am I going to do for Easter?,' " said Barrington resident Mimi Troy, a self-described "choco-holic" whose family made Fannie May candies a holiday tradition. "I'm not quite sure where I'm going to have to go for chocolate -- maybe online."

Fannie May followed the decline of its parent company, Archibald Candy, which has closed its production factory and more than 200 stores in a sale to Alpine Confections.

Cocoa Du Jour in the Barrington Commons mall also recently left town virtually without a trace, and the Candy Bouquet on Station Street opened and closed in less than the span of a year.

Barrington Sweet Tooth, which just sold the gift shop side of its store to its next-door neighbor, could have its hands full come Valentine's Day.

Owner Sandy Murray said the decline of her competitors will make this year's Valentine's Day particularly interesting, if not entirely unpredictable.

While Christmas consists of a monthlong shopping season, the Valentine's Day rush really only lasts three days and doesn't provide much room for adjustments, said Murray, who makes half of her goods and buys the rest from suppliers in the surrounding area.

"I can only make so much, and I'm not sure I can get my suppliers to respond on one-day's notice," she said.

"It really all depends on what Fannie May is going to end up doing," Murray said, referring to the possibility that Fannie May will do a production run for Valentine's Day. "Every time I turn on the TV, it's another report."

Ron Bottrell, spokesman for Archibald Candies, couldn't say for sure that the Barrington Fannie May store was to close Monday, but an employee who declined to give her name said Monday was the final day of operation. Bottrell said all Fannie May stores will close by Feb. 15. The company is closing six to 10 stores every day, he said.

"It's sort of a delicate balance of trying to keep as many stores open as long as we can, inventory permitting," Bottrell said. "That's why the exact closing dates of some stores is really up in the air."

Murray said doing business in Barrington is hard enough because of the public perception that prices are too high, but there are other factors contributing to the recent demise of local candy shops.

"Sugar prices are up, and I think part of it is the economy in general," Murray said. "It's a fair-margin business, but it's not a high-margin business. When business drops off, it really hurts."

Murray said trends like the Atkins Diet and sugar-free diets have also had an impact on the sugar-loaded industry. She's had to provide sugar-free chocolate, gummy bears and Jelly Belly beans for her more health-conscious customers.

Adaptability is the main characteristic that has helped Murray keep Barrington Sweet Tooth afloat in the almost five years she has owned the business.

"You have to know when the market changes and then go with them," Murray said.

The market was telling her that people were drastically cutting out the purchases of collectibles after the economy crashed.

"It's a nice-to-have, not a need to have," she said.

Murray said her collectibles, such as Beanie Babies, weren't earning their floor space, so she sold that half of the store and is currently putting up a new wall.

The loss of other local candy stores could help Barrington Sweet Tooth, but Murray doesn't think the exodus is a good thing.

"I think it's a bad thing we're down to one candy store in town, honestly," Murray said, adding that she favors competition for its long-term benefits. "It's the American way."

Tom Johnston can be reached at tjohnston~pioneerlocal.com.