East Hanover, NJ — Mondelez International, Inc. has opened the first Sour Patch Kids branded store located in a former New York City IT’SUGAR store, according to the company. IT’SUGAR will operate the location.
“It’s incredibly exciting to collaborate with Mondelez International as we launch the world’s first Sour Patch Kids branded store,’” says Jeff Rubin, IT’SUGAR CEO and a 2018 Candy Hall of Fame inductee. “The concept behind this store is about bringing the beloved Sour Patch Kids brand to life through exclusive products and unique experiences.”
Rubin tells Candy & Snack TODAY the partnership to build the one-of-a-kind store for Mondelez kicked off about a year ago, and the brand team’s directive was to find a “location that felt urban with brick walls, concrete floors and graffiti walls.”
“NoHo (the neighborhood North of Houston St. in Manhattan) was the perfect location. There are so many exciting things on the horizon for the Sour Patch Kids store. From more exclusive merchandise and dessert items to hopefully one day having in-store events,” Rubin adds.
The branded retail outlet is between New York University’s Washington Square campus and the SoHo Shopping district, and features a range of limited-edition merchandise such as mugs, t-shirts and beach totes. Shoppers also have the chance to make their own candy mix and pose for photos with Sour Patch Kids inside a full-size yellow taxi, Mondelez reports.
Further, the location has a Sour Patch Kids Sweets Bar, which has chef-created, reimagined classic desserts and “sour-than-sweet” spins on smoothies, ice cream, cookies and edible cookie dough made in collaboration with DŌ, Cookie Dough Confections.
“We’re excited for the Kids to bring their playful, sour-then-sweet attitude to the Big Apple and make their mark with the first Sour Patch Kids store,” says Danielle Freid, brand manager for Sour Patch Kids. “We created this new experience for our fans to engage with the brand on a whole new level, but of course understand that these are uncertain times. With this store as our new permanent home, we want our fans to know that the Kids aren’t going anywhere. We welcome visitors to join us for a colorful, flavorful experience whenever they’re ready to explore the city again. The Kids will be waiting.”
Noting the pandemic did delay the opening, Rubin tells Candy & Snack TODAY the brand was able to drive traffic online through IT’SUGAR-operated sourpatchkids.com.
“We are now thrilled to open the doors, with proper safety precautions, to enlighten visitors with a true “Sour Then Sweet” experience,” Rubin says.
