Economy Candy Rebounds with New Store Layout

Economy Candy officially returned from the pandemic sidelines with a block party and fresh store layout.

The celebration involved the Big Gay Ice Cream truck outside 108 Rivington Street, and Gotham chocolates parked inside doling free samples.

In the remodel, the store did not lose any of its old-school-warehouse-meets-Willy-Wonka charm. And it’s now substantially easier to maneuver through the aisles. The windows are no longer plastered with candy boxes, but instead invite sidewalk passersby to peer into the depths of the treasure trove of treats. Trinkets from yesteryear proudly sit on display around the outskirts of the store above the candy, with baseball pennants hanging along the entrance wall.

The store was packed for the grand reopening, and staff appeared as happy as customers to be back in the store. Owners Skye and Mitch Cohen handled the crowds with ease grace, and humor… like when a customer in front of us started haggling over a vintage Mets pennant.

Economy Candy still conjures nostalgic magic that allows a sense of normalcy to creep in, despite this seemingly never-ending pandemic nightmare. It’s one of the good ones, and encouraging to watch this rebound.

As previously reported, the sweets shop entered life on the Lower East Side in 1937 around the corner on Essex Street. Its original function was a discount shoe shop, yet the candy stand was the biggest draw. Fashion purchases weren’t number one for those hit hardest by the economic downturn. So, founder Morris “Moishe” Cohen, who passed away six years ago at age 92, pivoted the business into a sweets shop. Its predecessor was Saperstein’s, a sweets and appetizing store that opened here in 1903.