A local importer of premium Swedish pick-and-mix candy is preparing to open its first brick-and-mortar storefront in downtown Northampton, complete with both a traditional candy wall and a Scandinavian-inspired retail experience.
Lilla Swedish Candy, founded by husband-and-wife duo Nic Jansson and Holly Berrigan, will soon debut at Thornes Marketplace. According to a press release, the shop will occupy the former Captain Candy space on the marketplace’s lower level at 150 Main Street, Suite 080.
Launched in August 2025 out of a barn in Whately, Lilla quickly found an audience through its Shopify store and TikTok Shop, shipping imported Swedish candy to thousands of customers nationwide. The Northampton shop marks the brand’s first move into physical retail.
At the heart of the store will be a classic Swedish pick-and-mix candy wall, where customers can fill bags from around 70 varieties of imported sweets sold at one flat price per pound. The seasonally rotating selection will include gummies, sours, chocolates, licorice, and marshmallows, alongside vegan, gluten-free, and sugar-free options.
The concept draws from Jansson’s childhood in central Sweden and the tradition of lördagsgodis, or “Saturday candy.” “In Sweden, candy isn’t an everyday thing, it’s a ritual,” Jansson said in a statement. “Saturday comes, you go to the shop, you fill your bag exactly how you want it. We built Lilla to bring that experience here, and now people can finally do it in person.”
The shop will also feature an upper level inspired by the Jansson family’s sommarstuga (summer cabin), offering a curated assortment of Scandinavian home goods and specialty products. “We’re going to recreate my rustic family sommarstuga, which is in central Sweden, with boat-only access, no plumbing, no electric, no utilities,” he explained. “We’ll sell a very intentional selection of home goods and other Scandinavian products up there.”
Lilla Swedish Candy will host its grand opening on July 15, 2026. The store will follow marketplace hours: Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.
Lilla’s arrival comes as Swedish candy continues to explode in popularity across the United States. Fueled in large part by TikTok creators sharing pick-and-mix hauls, the concept has evolved from niche curiosity into a bona fide business. Locally, that momentum is evident as well, with Nantasket Sweets By Swedes also preparing to expand with a second location next month.
