An old-fashioned candy shop has been announced as one of the tenants for the forthcoming retail center, The District Exchange, in Concord at 22 Union St. N.
Tracy Gunn is bringing her concept Life is Sweet to the Concord market, taking a space of about 600-700 square feet in the retail center.
Gunn told What Now Charlotte she was drawn to The District Exchange because she wants to build out her concept in the Charlotte area. Gunn opened the original Life is Sweet location 18 years ago in Keene, New Hampshire. Her grandchildren live in the Charlotte area, so she was looking for opportunities here.
“On one trip I noticed there weren’t a lot of candy stores around, and I thought that this could be a good spot to build stores,” Gunn said.
She hopes to open 10 stores by the end of the year, adding to her other locations in the Carolinas that she opened last year in McAdenville and Lake Wylie.
The District Exchange concept — a retail hub featuring multiple businesses — appealed to Gunn because she likes to focus on building community to build her brand.
“How amazing to have the draw of many other businesses all in one space,” Gunn said. “There’s certainly the chance that I can entice somebody to have candy. I love this idea of people coming and being able to have whatever they want.”
At her New Hampshire location, Gunn serves candy, ice cream, chocolate, fudge and cupcakes. However, she plans to simplify at the Concord location, focusing on candy instead of perishable baked goods to make the concept easier to manage. She also plans to streamline her candy options to ensure it is not overwhelming for customers.
“Most of it is self-serve,” Gunn said. “[Customers] come, my staff explains how it works, they get the gloves and their own custom candy bag and they wander around the store and take a trip down memory lane.”
The District Exchange is expected to open in July.
“They’re making a lot of progress in there,” Gunn said. “It’s so cute, and I can’t wait.”
