March 9, 2004
Sweet Taste of Success. Chocolate, Chocolate Everywhere.
By CHARLIE YOUNG Dispatch/Sunday News
March 09, 2004
Buying a Wolfgang Candy chocolate bunny will be a lot more convenient this Easter -- just hop on over to a York County Weis Markets store.
The 83-year-old North York-based D.E. Wolfgang Co. has been seeking new distribution channels to expand on its fund-raising candy revenue base, said managing partner Mike Schmid, one of the fourth-generation leaders of the company.
The foray into supermarket retailing of Wolfgang Candy began in November, said Robert Wolfgang II. The initiative started in nine York County Weis stores and was recently expanded to 10 more regional stores in Lancaster and Dauphin counties and northern Maryland.
Tom Senft, store manager of the Weis Market at 1800 Roosevelt Ave., West Manchester Township, said the Wolfgang Candy displays replaced those of Russell Stover and Whitman candies and did exceptionally well over the Valentine's Day holiday.
"It's a local product made right here in York County. It's a good product, and our customers tell me they are glad they don't have to drive to the Wolfgang factory to get it," Senft said.
"It's nice to know we have something local none of our competition has. It's great to support our community."
Wolfgang said his company has been here a long time and has a deep base of customers to show for it.
"We've worked from the ground level up, and that makes a difference," he said. "Most of our sales through the years have been from one person telling another about the quality of our products."
Dedicated display: Wolfgang Candy has a dedicated display on the end of aisle 1 in the Roosevelt Avenue Weis Market, ensuring lots of customers walk by it. The candy also is next to the greeting cards, making a complement to a card purchase, Senft said.
The Wolfgang display racks each feature 20 products, some regular and some rotating seasonally. Now they have chocolate bunnies in milk chocolate or white chocolate and Beach Bunny Buckets of peanut butter "kisses."
Wolfgang said sales have been doing well, and the company is encouraged that Weis decided to add the additional 10 stores.
Rutter's to Wolfgang also is selling its two most popular single-serving bars -- peanut butter and chocolate with almonds -- in Rutter's Farm Stores. The competition is intense in convenience stores, where there are at least 110 candy bar slots, but sales at Rutter's have also gone well, Wolfgang said.
The company has contacted other retailers and distributors in search of expanding its distribution. About 90 percent of its sales are in fund raising, but the new distribution channels and private label manufacturing show great growth potential, Wolfgang said.
Of all the new initiatives, though, the Weis account holds the most promise, Wolfgang said.
"Once we see Weis is successful other department stores would be a natural," he said. "I suppose retailers look at each other's offerings pretty closely."