CandyKing: taking a global brand into a New York flagship

Project location: New York, NY · Prepared by POPUP from the project archive in October 2026.

Swedish pick-and-mix gained a West Village address on Bleecker Street. CandyKing's flagship connected a recognizable product experience with local retail development, staffing and daily operation.

How can a global retail brand build a local market presence?

Growing enthusiasm for Swedish candy created an opening for an established Swedish brand. The commercial task was to turn category interest into a recognizable destination, with a retail team and operating model that could carry the experience every day.

Bring Swedish confectionery heritage into the West Village’s culture of discovery. Give the brand a clear street presence, make the product experience easy to explore and connect the New York store with CandyKing’s global marketing team.

The long illuminated pick-and-mix wall at CandyKing on Bleecker Street.
The long illuminated pick-and-mix wall at CandyKing on Bleecker Street.

Make the address part of the strategy

306 Bleecker Street places CandyKing in a shopping corridor associated with discovery. The storefront gives a global confectionery brand a specific neighborhood presence and a direct invitation to step inside.

Let the product shape the visit

The pick-and-mix display brings the range, packaging and digital brand world together. Store planning and merchandising make choosing candy the central interaction, giving the brand’s Swedish heritage a tangible retail expression.

Make the store work, every day

The partnership continues through the daily realities of retail: trained staff, a replenished assortment, consistent merchandising and a welcoming customer experience. Retail by PopUp manages the local operation while working with CandyKing’s global team on the brand’s New York presence.

Give the global brand a local voice

Marketing is developed with CandyKing’s global team, connecting a consistent brand identity with the life of New York. Local content and the store’s branded packaging extend the Bleecker Street introduction beyond the visit.

The planning lesson

Market entry needs a local operating plan as well as a location. Connect the assortment, merchandising and staff training with the global brand's direction. A physical store introduces the brand each day through the way products are presented and guests are welcomed.

Who delivered the experience

Retail by PopUp develops and operates the U.S. flagship: site sourcing and leasing, store design and build, visual merchandising, staffing and daily operation. Local marketing is developed in collaboration with CandyKing’s global team.

CandyKing / Cloetta: product, brand assets and global marketing. Retail by PopUp: local retail development and operation.

What the experience made possible

The flagship introduced CandyKing’s colorful product experience to the West Village, with a local retail team supporting the brand and its guests.

Project questions

Where did the experience take place?

CandyKing: New York, NY.

What was the delivery scope?

Market-entry & location strategy; Site sourcing & leasing; Store design & build; Visual merchandising; Staffing & daily operations; Local marketing collaboration.

Explore related work

Further reading

For the wider event and campaign context: