Candyality

Stopped by to check it out, wasn’t impressed. Small mall shop, limited, typical selection. With Dylan’s across the street, I just can’t see choosing this shop over that one, sorry.

I passed by this place when I was wondering around the mall and couldn’t resist. They offer just what you would expect. It’s a typical candy store but it gets the job done. There was only one person working when I went but I wasn’t greeted or offered any samples. I later found out there’s another candy store across the street and wish I would have held out. I eventually went to the other candy store and fell in love because they offer so much more and have more character along with the sweet atmosphere you would expect in a candy shop.

If they had the option for no stars I would give this store that. The customer service is horrible, I went there with a friend and tried a single piece of candy and got reprimanded for tasting the candy. The employee walked up to me and told me if I would like to try candy I need to ask them first. Not in a nice way either. The store was filled with people trying candy and she came up and said something to me. Candy stores are supposed to be fun. This place was not and at the price your paying for pound you should be able to try the candy first because last time I bought candy from there it was stale! Go to Dylan’s candy bar instead. They know how to treat customers. I will be sure to never go here again and not recommend it to anyone.

Forgive me Candyality, for I have sinned. I just tried out your new competition across the street. OMG, what a world of difference. Your milk and dark chocolates are fresh, shiny, CHOCOLATEY (not sugary), plump, and better priced. I won’t make that mistake again. Your store is also better organized and respectful. I don’t feel like I am being watched all the time.

It’s kind of hard to resist candy stores in general, but this place is extra quirky because they have designated «personality traits» that go along with each candy (i.e. if you purchase X candy, you are thought to have Y personality trait).
They have a decent selection of candy — ranging from things you buy individually to gourmet chocolates to a «purchase by weight» selection. Although buying by weight tends to be a bit overpriced for the amount you get, it’s nice to be able to grab a huge variety and control the quantity.
The store is clean and the employees are usually quite friendly. Definitely worth a visit if you have a sweet tooth.

Okay, I’m a sucker for candy stores. I have a sweet tooth like no other. So when we were in the area, I made sure we stopped by Candyality. They had so many different kinds of candy and the retro candies. I loved the mini gummy bears! So cute and lots of different flavors. The sour strips were good too. They also had lots of non edible but still candy themed gifts. It gets a bit pricey when you dump too many things into your bag…

I’ve heard rave reviews about Candyality, particularly that it was a mecca for everything candy. I had a hankering for Jelly Belly jelly beans and decided to stop into the Shops at Northbridge location. The main thing I was surprised about was how dinky this location is – it really feels like a hole in the wall. Although there are many candy options, I found it underwhelming.
I had my heart set on the cotton candy and margarita flavors of Jelly Belly. I was really disappointed when I didn’t have any such luck. I still found some others that I’d been wanting to try, however. When I expressed my disappointment to the sales clerk, she was kind enough to tell me about the «cocktail collection» of jelly belly that had the margarita flavor in it. She told me that the bag containing those flavors were hidden away and she could get them for me… she even offered to pick out just the margarita flavor out of the mix for me! I was really pleased with how helpful she was and ended up getting some of the jelly beans from the «cocktail collection» and other flavors that were available. The sales clerk truly made my day!
In terms of price, it was $ 3.00 per ¼ pound. If you’re not careful and aren’t paying attention to how much you’re putting into the bag, you’ll certainly be in for a shock when you hit the cash register.
In closing, Candyality at the Shops at Northbridge has a ton of options. I came across a lot of candies that were «hard to find» and/​or are considered «vintagage». It’s definitely a place to stop at if you have a sweet tooth, but bear in mind it’s a rather small store. Although I don’t know if I’ll come back to this specific location because it’s so tiny, I will definitely check out the other locations in the future.

This is a much smaller outpost than their Southport Avenue shop. However, there is plenty of selection to make you spend ten to fifteen minutes trying to decide on your movie-​time treats.
And the Jelly Belly assortment was pretty good on a recent visit: 49 Flavors, Berry Blue, Blueberry, Buttered Popcorn, Cantaloupe, Coconut, Cocktail Classics, Cream Soda, Dr Pepper, French Vanilla, Juicy Pear, Lemon Drop, Piña Colada, Pink Grapefruit, Raspberry, Root Beer, Sizzling Cinnamon, Strawberry Cheesecake, Strawberry Jam, Tabasco (yep), Toasted Marshmallow, Tutti Fruitti, and Watermelon.

Ahhhhh candy heaven right here! They have a great selection of candy and in addition to that, its like a mini-​museum of retro candy and pop culture surrounding candy. I especially loved the packages that were stuffed with 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s candies, totally brought me back to my youth!
Prices are a little expensive, but it def didn’t keep me from getting some sweet and salty snacks!
Stop by here now! :) Ooh and when you buy your candy you get a little reading… its too cute!

CAN YOU SAY HARIBO?!
I went in here because I have two eyes and have an ability to act like a 6 year old on the spot. So I went in here gushing and made my way over to the old fashioned candy bars. I picked up a Brown Cow and a pack of Clove Gum. ACES!
Then I roamed over to the bins WHERE I AM ALWAYS SKEPTICAL because I just imagine grimy little fingers all over that candy. However, they had like 5 910 321 types of Haribo and I was in all of my glory. They also had some really righteous sour selections. I stocked up on gummy jet planes, sharks, fish, frogs, coke bottles, sour cherry cokes, and other fantastic little goodies. See, I just immediately loading various candies into my bag and whilst I was doing this, I was worried that it would not be allowed and needed to be weighed out separately, but then my eyes caught a sign that said mixing was A-​OK. They stole my heart. Over the moon.
It acted as my candy stash for midnight hotel snacking! I wanted to go back the next day, but I guess Easter IS kind of a good reason for a candy store to be closed… I will definitely keep this gem in mind next time I’m strolling the Ave.
GO! GET CANDY NOW!

O
M
G
Damn this place has some good candy. Tons of variety. My only complaint with them was that being in the shopping center below my hotel they were too easy to get to and stock up on candy.

A work collegue was in from the UK and loves root beer Jelly Bellys. The problem is they are really hard to come by in the UK, so were searching all over the city for these things. The only place in the loop that had them in stock was CANDYALITY!
The have a great stock of most candy that’s hard to come by otherwise.

Brides, if you are looking for a store to stock your candy bar or candy buffet for your wedding — this is the place to go. They have so many wonderful kinds of candy in so many wonderful flavors so you can definitely find candies in your colors. And the owner and staff are super nice and very helpful. They will lend you glass jars and scoops for your event and they let you try all the different candies before making up your mind (which in my case involved trying about 10 different candies — can you say «sugar high»?). Also, they figured out how much candy I would need by weight and factored in the popularity of the different types of candies.
It may just be the sugar talking but I love this store!

Everyone loves candy… and if you don’t, you should not be able to live on this planet. So if you are human, you will freaking love Candyality. This place has all of the throwback candy I used to love as a kid and goodies that I thought only existed in my dreams.
Another great thing about this place is that the people who work here must have a sugar high because they love life. When I brought my bag of joy to the cashier, she began to analyze my purchase. This candy princess said that since I had majority sour candies, I must have a wild streak in me… which is true.
Back to Candyality. This place is great and definitely a place everyone should visit. Also, my dentist loves that I love this place. Boom!!!

You had me at Skittles.
Lured into Candyality by a dress made of Skittles in the display window, the bright lights and shiny colorful packaging of candy new and old here was no less enticing.
Candyality is tucked into the Shops at Northbridge on Michigan Avenue. If it were a stand alone at street level, I’m convinced it would be packed with suburban tourists, much like Garrett’s popcorn always is.
The shelves are lined with the candy of my youth, and possibly my parent’s long-​lost youth as well! Charleston Chews, Beecher’s Gum, Lick ‘m Aid, Bubs Daddy, Indian head Pumpkin seeds, Pop Rocks, Lemon Heads, Alexander the Grape, Cherry Chan. Okay, maybe not the last two old Ferrara Pan candies, but they do have the modern day versions!
Stepping into the store, a huge display of unique Halloween candies and toys was too much to pass up! I had to grab some gummy eyeballs and toys for my son’s Trick or Treating. And wouldn’t you be the most popular house on the block if you picked up some unique Treats as well?
Lots of the bulk candies here are invidividually wrapped, so scoop ‘em up! There’s a whole wall of bulk gummies of every color and shape, as well as malted milk balls, sno caps and such. Need a nibble bag during your retail therapy? I thought so.
One couldn’t help but notice the annyoing candy-​related music pumping through Candyality’s speakers. Mentioning it to the sweet girl that was minding the store, she said she no longer paid it any mind, but every so often would find herself humming it at home. The music here is no Siren Song! But I’ll absolutely be lured back to Candyality for seasonal stocking stuffers and unique old fashioned sweets.
Candy, Candy, Candy,
I can’t let you go
One thing that’s for certain,
I need you so!
Candy, baby!

I’m honestly shocked that a place like this exists on Michigan Avenue — these folks GET candy. Like, they intrinsically understand it — they live it, breath it and it’s quite obvious it’s their main vice and passion.
We’re talking candies from decades of old — The Lady has been looking all over the city for a pack of Razzles and this place stocks them aplenty. Also, for those days when I really just don’t care about my sugar intake, there are pixie sticks so large they look like they come in foot long jumbo straws — and for a buck a pop! They sell chocolates and other manner of goodies by the pound, but since the majority of them aren’t vegan I don’t really pay attention to them…
These guys really care about what’s going on in their store from how it’s laid out to what they stock (even going so far as to provide a cheesy soundtrack of candy themed musical fare — bonus points for including Millie’s seminal 1964 ska cover of ‘My Boy Lollipop’!). They have a surprising amount of vegan friendly candies and on the day that I’m willing to blow 500 to 600 calories in one sitting on a pack of candy, this place will be the first place I think of to aid me in my loss of sense and logic.

Chicago’s smaller version of Dylan’s Candy Bar, Candyality sells candy as a lifestyle (i.e., all things candy related). In addition to candy in every corner, they carry candy themed clothing, lip gloss, pillows, mugs, etc.
The candy selection includes M&Ms in a rainbow of colors, many Jelly Belly flavors, gummy candies, chocolate covered things, sour candies, licorice in clear glass jars, etc. sold by weight (I didn’t see a price). They also have retro candy bars like Sky Bar, Pop Rocks, and Zagnut. Necco, Mars, Hershey’s, & Nestle are all represented here.
The candies they carry aren’t hard to find and are what I’d consider as mainstream domestic with some regional candy (not much in terms of imports) — what makes this place better than average is:
(1) a nice selection of gift sets that they put together,
(2) fudge,
(3) other chocolates like truffles, chocolate covered pretzels, giant pb cups — I’m not sure where they come from but it made the place seem a little more special,
(4) jars of popcorn mixes that you can’t find everywhere
The candy art on the walls is a unique, fun touch.

What a find! We wandered here by chance today, Aaron mentioned he really didn’t want to go to this mall, because there wasn’t much in it that interested him… well we wound up over in there anyway, and stumbled upon this awesome little candy shop.
We walk in and. we spotted the bags of «12 flavor gummi bears» and once it was confirmed that it was indeed Albanese by one of the sales lady’s, we knew that this was a great find. Albanese makes excellent gourmet gummy candies they are super soft, super flavorful, and downright creative. Giant multiflavored gummy snakes, crunchy gummies, gummies shaped like army men. They had a huge selection of these along with some of the Haribo classics.
They also have a huge selection of handmade chocolates, which including truffles, giant peanut butter cups, haystacks, and candy covered chocolate dipped pretzels. Which were all looked mouth watering.
Lets not forget the shelves full of old time candy too. The wax bottles filled with sugary liquid, the candy buttons, ice cubes, Mary Janes, the candies you eat off paper, Sky Bars, you name it, and they have it, and something tells me that if they don’t it is neither not out there anymore at all, or they could order it for you if you asked. They really seem to know what they are talking about when it comes to candy here.
Oh yes, one more note worthy thing housemade fudge. Yep. In some awesome flavors, even PUMPKIN PIE! We are going back for that and hopefully soon.

Very few times in a person’s life do they find a candy store that caters not only to their specific niche of candy-​loving, but can also provide a gateway to the other worlds of candy in such a friendly and inviting atmosphere that it’s nigh-​on impossible to leave without making a purchase.
For me, I’m a Gummi Guzzler.
And lo and behold, two separate racks entirely devoted to a gourmet selection of gumminess. What really makes this place stand out are the «12-​flavor gummi bears» that my gal and I found at the 2009 Candy Expo and were delighted to find a Chicago store that purchases from that company, Albanese. (I even impressed the Candyality salesgirl with my knowledge of Albanese.) Sorry, Haribo, but your pathetic 5 flavors of gummis are no match for the selection of 12 flavors that includes Bodacious Banana, Rockin’ Raspberry, Poppin’ Pineapple and Groovy Grapefruit.
Plus, the fact that they purchase through Albanese means you can get the Krunch Bears (gummi bears covered in nonpareils) and gummi jets. And yes, they’ve got your Haribo classics as well, like the giant cola bottles and giant gummi sharks and gummi centipedes and snakes.
Okay, for those of you who aren’t in the «Gummi Guzzler» niche, don’t worry. If chocolates are your thing, you can choose from the rack of color-​specific M&Ms to make your own party bag, or the chocolate-​covered pretzels and nuts and malted milk balls in another fill-​up-​a-​bag section. Or try their handmade truffles. Or handmade giant peanut-​butter cups or chocolate-​covered haystacks or marshmallows.
No? Prefer something sour or salty? There’s plenty of sour gummis and other sour candies to whet your appetite. They also do popcorn. And handmade taffy apples, too!
But the coup de grace is the nostalgia candies. If you’re like me and have very few palces left to turn to when you need a fix of Abba-​Zabba or real Nik-​L-​Nips, look no further than Candyality. They’ve got pretty much all of the old-​fashioned candies I could think of — whether I was even interested in buying them or not.
And really, that’s only like less than half of their merchandise. I didn’t even mention the licorice or the Jelly Belly stand (check out Bean Boozled flavors if you dare) or…
…the fudge! The homemade fudge! We specifically did not pick any up this time around because we were already walking out with $ 20 of candy, but also because we wanted something to specifically look forward to on our return trip. And that would be the Pumpkin Pie Fudge. Just say it out loud and try and tell me there’s not visible droolage. You can’t. And it’s waiting for me to return and make another purchase.
Just be warned that the checkout line can get a little long during busy times, and that will tempt you to get even more items as you stand around waiting. Also, some of the items are name-​brand candies you can easily buy for much cheaper at the drugstore or any grocery store. Come specifically for those hard-​to-​find treats and the homemade delicacies.
Your sweet tooth will certainly thank you for it.

AMAZINGNESS has hit Michigan Avenue! Remember those candies from your childhood (and your parents’) that you just can’t find anymore? Well, they are all here!!!
Candy candy candy from the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s is all stuffed into this amazing little candy store.
Stuck on a gift idea, come here for some retro snacks that will be the talk of the party!