Lilla Swedish Candy

Nic: I was born in Stockholm and my family moved to the US when I was a toddler. I grew up here in the Valley, but we went back to Sweden every summer through my teens, so I got both sides of it. Holly and I met in 2017 when we were both working for a company in Boston. With her background in international relations and diplomacy and her experience as a sommelier (WSET Level 3 with Distinction), she’d started MYSA, a natural wine company. We combined our superpowers, digital marketing and international relations, to run MYSA together, along with a sales and marketing consulting company that handles various consumer goods brands.

Just before the pandemic we relocated to Barcelona to be closer to the producers we were importing from. Fun fact: while we were apartment hunting there we ended up on an episode of House Hunters International! Once Covid set in we came back to the Pioneer Valley. Holly grew up in Oklahoma, but loves this area as well, so it worked out. We focused on e-commerce for MYSA through the pandemic and stayed very busy.

Last year we started exploring the feasibility of a candy company when my sister, who owns a specialty food shop and deli on the Cape, began selling Swedish candy wholesale. It was flying off the shelves, and it made us think, why can’t we do this ourselves? The model is very similar to the wine business, but with a lot less legal complexity. We import candy we love from Sweden. Some we blend into our own pick-and-mix, and some we carry as-is, the stuff we grew up on that most people here have never tried.

The next step was a brick and mortar shop. Going from online to a physical space is a very different thing, but we thought we’d give it a try. When a space opened up in Thornes that seemed perfect, it felt meant to be.

Holly: We love Thornes, period. I think it’s the best shopping destination in Western Mass. We also love that there are so many people we know both in the building and throughout downtown, including Benson from Provisions, Monica from Ooh La La, and Katie (with whom Nic went to high school) from 25 Central, just down the street.

Nic: The space was already in great shape, so when it became available, we felt it was the right time. We love that there’s already a built-in customer base and plenty of foot traffic, so that infrastructure makes the transition easier.

Nic: We’re excited to bring some of my favorite candy from childhood into this space, along with traditions I grew up with that are still a big part of life in Sweden. One is lördagsgodis, Saturday candy. The idea is to save candy for one day a week and make it a ritual, something to look forward to. That’s the tradition we’re building the store around. My family has a summer cottage in central Sweden, a few hours outside Stockholm. No electricity, no plumbing, and you have to take a boat to get there. Growing up, on Saturdays we’d row to shore, bundle into the car, and visit the candy store for foamy candy, sour gummies, chewy caramels, and more. We still own it and try to get back as often as we can, so our two young daughters can experience it, too. I’m excited to bring that nostalgic candy here along with some newer products people are getting into.

Holly: I’m also very excited to focus on programming with candy and collaborating with the other businesses in Thornes on events.

Nic: For the space, we’ll have two walls of pick-and-mix candy plus a table of pre-packaged grab-and-go items. The mezzanine will have more merchandise and home goods.

Holly: I want to re-create Nic’s family’s Swedish summer cottage vibe up there, with a little kitchen, a living area, and a wood stove. I want people to walk up the stairs and discover an experiential shopping area. The theme will change seasonally to reflect what people do in Sweden through the year, like midsummer activities and foraging in fall. I want to immerse people in a cultural experience that goes beyond the candy, though the candy is obviously the main focus. It’s been really fun to design, from sourcing wallpaper in Sweden to building out the seasonal themes.

Nic: I enjoy cycling and spending time with our family, our two young kids, and our senior Golden Retriever, Norman.

Holly: I’m enjoying our property and leaning into a bit of a homesteading vibe, three chickens, a garden, composting worms, and more. We’re looking forward to some summer travel with the kids, but mostly we’re focused on getting the store ready and opening in the first week of August to kick off the next chapter.