"Amoeba Music isn't the only place on Haight Street where regulars faithfully shop for the latest imports. Just a handful of blocks away, Candy's stocks an international selection of over 700 sweet treats, ranging from nostalgic products to the latest TikTok trends. It's back open, after a fire that started inside the front wall required the attention of 35 firefighters."
"Charlotte DeGroot lived in the apartment upstairs for four years before the fire and admired the store. Although she's since moved, the fire and the experience of evacuating outside motivated her and a Generation Z neighbor to offer Kolegue some social media solidarity to help with boosting online sales during the store closure. "I was like, 'Well, I've been doing costume design and content creation for like 10 years, so I already have a good understanding of algorithms," DeGroot says."
"She also monitors candy trends on TikTok to make inventory suggestions, whether that means freeze-dried, feather-light Skittles that are made specifically for Candy's, the pistachio cream and kataifi-stuffed Dubai chocolate candy bars, Korean peelable fruit gummies, "Squid Game"-inspired Dalgona rounds, or a Canadian rendition of the crystal candies that have become popular due to the ASMR potential inherent in crunching pure sugar granules over a teeny microphone."
Candy's on Haight Street offers an international selection of over 700 sweet treats, from nostalgic favorites to current TikTok-driven items. A fire that started inside the front wall required 35 firefighters and forced the shop to close. Owner Max Kolegue, who took over the seven-year-old shop in April 2024, closed for three and a half months for repairs and has no conclusive cause for the blaze. The experience strengthened ties with neighbors and the Haight-Ashbury community. Former upstairs resident Charlotte DeGroot and a Generation Z neighbor produced social media content to support online sales and suggest trend-driven inventory.
Read at SFGATE
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