Candy-Jewelry Shop Opens On Berlin's Main Street
By CHARLENE SHARPE
The Daily Times of Salisbury
BERLIN, Md. (AP) -- When Connie Mayers decided to open a candy shop, she knew women would be her primary customers.
So, to be successful, she designed her shop around what women would like: chocolate and jewelry.
"They come in and see the counters and the chocolates and then they turn around and see the jewelry," Mayers said.
"The response is overwhelming."
Mayers opened Main Street Sweets this fall in downtown Berlin.
Customers who enter the small shop are greeted by a dazzling display of gourmet chocolates and jewelry cases amid bright white counters and glistening chandeliers.
Decorating wasn't difficult for Mayers, who previously worked as an interior designer for corporations such as Hilton and Holiday Inn.
"I ended that and started a new journey," she said.
She said she'd always liked quaint historic towns like Berlin and wanted to focus her retail enterprise on something the town didn't already have.
She decided to focus on candy, primarily chocolate, and began taste testing.
"I taste selected to know which ones I wanted to put in the shop," she said.
Main Street Sweets features an array of truffles, as well as an assortment of fudge, penny candy, sugar-free chocolates and holiday gift boxes.
The store features a variety of "grab and go" gifts and is the only local retailer of John Kelly truffle fudge, which sells for $6.99 a quarter pound, Mayers said.
To complement her central chocolate displays, Mayers has set up shelves featuring fashion costume jewelry.
"The price point was important to me," Mayers said, adding that her selection of jewelry is affordable and appealing to all tastes.
She will be adding the Waxing Poetic line of jewelry to her inventory in the coming weeks.
Customers will be able to choose from a variety of sterling silver necklaces, bracelets and charms.
"Everyone can pick out something that's meaningful to them," Mayers said.
Mayers says business has been good since she opened the shop in September.
"I think business has been wonderful," she said.
"I couldn't get over the response from all of the customers. It brings me joy knowing they're happy."
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
