Sweet Ideas for Celebrating Mother’s Day💐

Mother’s Day is the perfect time for candy makers to help customers show love and appreciation with something sweet. Whether your customers are shopping for moms, grandmas or mother figures, a thoughtful candy gift can leave a lasting impression. Here are some ideas to make your shop stand out this Mother’s Day.

Photo credit: Fazio’s Chocolate

Create Special Flavors Just for Mom
Offer limited-time truffle or chocolate flavors inspired by the season. Think floral or fruity options like lavender honey, raspberry rose, champagne strawberry or lemon cream. You can also shape your chocolates into flowers, hearts or even spell out “Mom” for a personal touch.

Photo credit: SnowflakeChocolates

Upgrade Your Packaging
A beautiful presentation makes the gift feel even more special, such as a floral ribbon, pastel tissue paper or flower embellishments. You can also place small assortments in a pretty tea cup, a keepsake mug or a reusable tin for added value.

For a fun twist, make edible chocolate baskets and fill them with truffles, caramels or chocolate-covered nuts. Or offer custom chocolate bars with messages like “Happy Mother’s Day” or “Love You, Mom” to turn a treat into a heartfelt greeting.

Photo credit: MillCreek Chocolates

Set Up a Mother’s Day Display
Create a display that grabs attention. Include your Mother’s Day products, gift-wrapped and ready to go. Use signs like “Perfect for Mom” or “Sweeten Her Day” to guide shoppers. Add fresh flowers or framed photos of moms and kids for a warm, inviting touch.

Photo credit: Dietsch Brothers

Offer Pre-Orders and Gift Sets
Bundle bestsellers together and promote gift sets at different price points. Include a card or a tag where customers can write a message. Taking pre-orders makes things easier for your team and guarantees your customers won’t miss out.

Promote Early and Often
Start marketing now! Use your website, email list and social media to share sneak peeks of your products. Show behind-the-scenes videos of how you’re making special truffles or wrapping gifts. Use hashtags like #MothersDayGifts or #ShopLocalForMom. Consider offering free gift wrapping or a small discount for early purchases.

With a little creativity and planning, you can help your customers give a sweet and memorable gift while boosting your holiday sales. Mother’s Day is a great time to show off your craft—and remind people just how special handmade candy can be.

Looking for More Inspiration? Attend RCI’s Candy Convention!

Don’t miss out—register for RCI’s Annual Convention & Industry Expo by Friday, April 25 for the best rates! Visit retailconfectioners.org/annual to secure your spot today! For more details, call 417-883-2775. Join us for an unforgettable experience that will inspire, educate and help you grow your candy business!

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10 Ways to Make Mother’s Day Sweeter than Ever

With many mothers wearing more hats than usual and grandmas missing visits from their grandchildren, consumers are looking for ways to make Mother’s Day bigger and sweeter than ever in 2020. This week, we’re sharing fun ways for consumers to celebrate and feel connected even when apart.

Limited-Time Offers

Bring back seasonal confections for a limited time and require advance orders. If you typically offer caramel apples during the fall or chocolate-covered strawberries for Valentine’s Day, consider bringing these seasonal favorites back for the week leading up to Mother’s Day.

One-Stop Shop

Since it’s difficult to stop by multiple retailers at this time, think of ways to provide a one-stop shopping experience. Bundle chocolate with gift items and remind consumers if you offer gift wrapping and greeting cards. Partner with other local businesses, like florists and coffee shops, to expand your reach while supporting fellow businesses and ease the strain if you are short staffed.

Treats to Ship

Bundle warm-weather treat for consumers who may need to ship gifts, but don’t want the extra expense required for shipping chocolate in the heat. Check out our blog post for 5 Sweets that Beat the Heat. These treats are good options if your community allows sidewalk sales or food trucks to operate.

Gourmet S’mores Kits

Create gourmet s’mores kits and share tips for outdoor enthusiasts to create memorable camp-in experiences. Check out this past blog post for ideas on how to take your s’mores to the next level. The Washington State Parks Foundation offers programming for viewers to enjoy camping activities from their living rooms and back yards.

Subscription Boxes

Create a sweet subscription box, giving shoppers the option to answer a survey to help select the recipient’s favorite treats. This ensures a steady supply of sweet treats for Mom and reoccurring sales for you.

Take-and-Make Treat Kits

Invite families to make memories together with take-and-make Mother’s Day treat kits. Along with instructions, share a link to your video tutorial for them to follow along.

Ice Cream Sundae Kits

If you sell ice cream, create ice cream sundae kits as a way to upsell pints paired with candy toppings, chocolate and caramel sauces and decorative sprinkles. Make your own “magic” chocolate shell sauce by adding coconut oil to melted chocolate.

Virtual Tasting Kits

Create virtual tasting kits with tasting guides in sets of two. Consider offering add-ons at a discount so the whole family can experience tasting together virtually. Partner with a local liquor shop, winery or coffee maker to pair chocolates with Mom’s favorite beverages.

Customizable Gifts

Give shoppers the opportunity to customize their gifts by offering options to build their own care packages, choose the recipient’s favorite color ribbon or packaging/gift wrap. Use free tools like Canva and Vecteezy to design beautiful custom wraps for chocolate bars or boxed chocolates.

Pin It to Win It

If you aren’t already taking advantage of Pinterest to promote and sell your products, now is the time! Now, more than ever, shoppers are relying on social media for news, inspiration and entertainment. Create Mother’s Day themed boards and post purchasable gift ideas perfect for moms with a sweet tooth. Click here to learn more.

Although many holidays and celebrations look different these days, embrace the opportunity to think creatively and continue to evolve your business. Share in the comments below, creative ways you plan to celebrate moms this year.

Crave more? If you like what you read here, look for the "Subscribe now" box on the right to enter your email address and start receiving weekly tips, like this, delivered straight to your email inbox. RCI's Tip of the Week blog is just one of the many resources we offer to help candy makers refine their craft and build upon their business and marketing practices.

Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.