Candylicious affair: Sweet elation

Dubai : For people with a sweet tooth, stepping into the world's biggest candy shop is like having the pages of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory brought to life.

The new Candylicious store in Dubai Mall opened its doors to the public on Wednesday evening, promising treats to match everyone's tastes.

At just over 10,000 sq ft and filled with a staggering 3,000 different varieties of candy it is the largest sweet shop on the planet.

The candies on sale have been carefully selected after months of research and include products from the United States, Australia, Italy, Spain and Romania.

For the last 10 months Sunaina Gill, the director of operations and merchandising, has been choosing what the new store will sell.

She said: “It's been a long process but, as a chocoholic and having tasted all of the products we sell, I can say it's been worth it.''

Take your pick

Visitors are greeted with bold flashes of bright colour on a white background. A giant purpose-built aeroplane forms the centrepiece of the store along with a large tree with lollipops hanging from it.

Prices range from lollipops costing Dh1 to hampers packed with chocolates, T-shirts and toys worth Dh500.
Sunaina said: “We will sell popular products that everyone knows about as well as premium products like Conti, which are imported Italian chocolates that are our most expensive at Dh249 a box.

“We even have gourmet Garrett popcorn, which is Oprah Winfrey's favourite brand and is a completely different experience from the normal popcorn.

“A good 80 per cent of what we sell is only available in this store which you won't find anywhere else in the Middle East and South East Asia.''