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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, July 28, 2020
Updated: Thursday, July 30, 2020
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They say everything is better with chocolate, but is it?
We’ve uncovered some oddly popular and some surprisingly tasty pairings. We’ll leave it up to you to determine if they really are better with chocolate.
Beef Jerky
This salty, sweet and chewy combination is sure to stir some excitement among jerky fans. Plus, with so many varieties of jerky available the options are seemingly endless. We suggest adding another element of texture by topping the chocolate coating with crushed nuts, candy pieces, drizzled caramel, dried fruit or savory spices like smoked paprika or red pepper flakes.
Cheetos®
If your customers love your chocolate-covered potato chips, this seems like a natural next step. As an added bonus, coating Cheetos in chocolate will help to avoid the dreaded orange Cheeto fingers.
Chickpeas
Packed with protein and fiber, chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans) are super popular right now—see for yourself with a quick internet search. When chickpeas are roasted, they take on a crunchy snack-like quality. Try coating them in chocolate and sprinkling them with a little sea salt and you are bound to catch the attention of chickpea enthusiasts with this nutritious sweet treat.
Chili Peppers
Chocolate-covered chili peppers—perhaps with a dash of sea salt fall right in line with one of the biggest flavor trends of 2020; spicy-salty-sweet. From habaneros to jalapenos to sweet peppers and everything in between, there’s so many varieties of peppers you decide how daring you want to be. **Bonus points if you stuff peppers with peanut butter.
Corn Nuts
We first learned about this addictive combo while touring the R&D department at The Blommer Chocolate Company in 2017. We give this sweet and savory mix of chocolate and toasted corn kernels two thumbs up. Try it for yourself and tell us what you think.
Onions
Chocolate-covered onions? It sounds like an April Fools’ Day joke. As the story goes, the idea started as a prank. Today Mueller Chocolate Co.’s chocolate-covered onion has developed into a “cult favorite” for tourists and food bloggers visiting Philadelphia. For the record, it is unanimous that the chocolate-covered onion is as disgusting as it sounds.
Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels
Sometimes kids have the greatest ideas. This idea came from the son/grandson of the family business, JoyLyn’s Candies as a sweet snack idea and it was a hit. If you have combined chocolate with peanut butter and chocolate with pretzels, but you’ve never tried the three together, you’re in for a treat.
Pickles
It’s an annual tradition for Malley’s Chocolates of Cleveland to drench dill pickles in chocolate for St. Patrick’s Day—some could say this is the ultimate salty, sweet combination. Unlike the chocolate-covered onion, people seem to really enjoy this wacky combination.
Quinoa
The ancient grain, quinoa, brings along with it a healthy halo. Combine it with dark chocolate and dried superfoods like blueberries—this treat is not only packed with nutrients but it tastes good too. Rather than working with raw quinoa (which might chip a tooth), puffed quinoa is a better medium for coating in chocolate. Puffed quinoa is easy to make yourself (a lot like stovetop popcorn—check out this recipe) or you can buy puffed quinoa (
see here).
Wasabi Peas
If you like the crunch of chocolate-covered Cheetos and the heat of chocolate chili peppers, these little spheres of goodness are the best of both worlds.
Creativity doesn’t have to stop here. You never know where your next creative culinary confection will come from. So, keep experimenting and have fun! And don’t forget to tell people about your next wacky combination on social media, in-store and even through a press release. Creative, out-of-the-box thinking may be just what you need to create buzz and get people to visit your store or website so they don’t miss out on all the fun!
Crave more? If you like what you read here, look for the "Subscribe now" box on the right to enter your email address and start receiving weekly tips, like this, delivered straight to your email inbox. RCI's Tip of the Week blog is just one of the many resources we offer to help candy makers refine their craft and build upon their business and marketing practices.
Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, June 23, 2020
Updated: Thursday, July 30, 2020
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Whether you like it or not, tie-dye is one of the biggest fashion trends of 2020—no doubt thanks to quarantined DIYers looking to pass time and upcycle their wardrobes. Oftentimes popular fashion trends find their way into other industries. With all the fun, bright colors and happy vibes it creates, we think the tie-dye trend is a perfect fit for the candy industry. If you’re looking to jump on this psychedelic bandwagon, keep reading for five must-try tie-dye ideas. Tie-Dye S’mores Tie-dye + s’mores! Does it get any better than this? Whip up a batch of these colorful and gooey marshmallows and dare your customers NOT to plaster photos of them all over social media! They won’t be able to resist! Click here for a tutorial from Studio DIY. Tie-Dye Chocolate Bars Create yummy swirls of color on a chocolate bar, then take it a step further by embellishing it with a fun, little moulded chocolate piece—like this ice cream cone—and lots of sprinkles. Tie-Dye Moulded Chocolates You don’t even have to like tie-dye to love this colorful bunny! What other moulded chocolates would look great in tie dye? All of them! Tie-Dye Packaging What goes best with tie-dye? More tie-dye, of course! Complete your collection of tie-dye confections with equally psychedelic packaging. Contact MOD-PAC for more information about these tie-dye boxes. Tie-Dye Merchandise For the truest tie-dye enthusiasts, consider adding branded tie-die merch to your offerings, like these t-shirts from Asher's Chocolates. In the world of tie-dye, the possibilities are seemingly endless! These are just a few of our favorite ways for your business to ride the tie-dye trend. Similar techniques could also be applied to chocolate-covered sandwich cookies, pretzels, fudge and more. What confections would you transform with tie dye? Share in the comments below. Crave more? If you like what you read here, look for the "Subscribe now" box on the right to enter your email address and start receiving weekly tips, like this, delivered straight to your email inbox. RCI's Tip of the Week blog is just one of the many resources we offer to help candy makers refine their craft and build upon their business and marketing practices. Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
Updated: Monday, April 27, 2020
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How Instagram-worthy are your holiday treats?
Sure, they taste delicious, but how would a potential new customer know if they’ve never tasted your confections? No surprise, social media, like Instagram and Facebook, can be an effective tool for reaching consumers, however if A.) you’re not sharing photos of your products on your social media sites daily or B.) they don’t stand out from other holiday gifts, you could be missing out on a massive opportunity to gain new customers this season.
A study by Forbes has shown that 78% of consumers’ purchases are impacted by companies’ social media posts. So, if you’re looking for a boost in sales, consider transforming these classic confectionery treats into holiday showstoppers to help your business standout this season.
Rice Cereal Treats
Cookie cutters aren't just for cookies. They also make a great tool for creating fun seasonal chocolate-covered rice cereal treats. Make the most out of your collection of cookie cutters, by repurposing common shapes to create new and unique designs. After realizing that their gingerbread man treats weren’t selling as well as other designs, Bomboy’s Home Made Candy gave the tired cookie cutter new life by turning it upside down and transforming it into Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. This little reindeer proved to be a hit!
Make fall and summer designs last into the holidays! If you have cookie cutters shaped like a ghost or even an ice cream cone, just flip them upside down to transform the shapes into cute elves. Did you know a pumpkin cookie cutter can be repurposed to make a jolly Mrs. Claus?
Caramel Apples
Traditionally a fall treat, a little creativity can help transform caramel apples into a festive holiday gift. For inspiration, mimic Santa’s jolly belly by adding his signature black belt and big gold buckle around a red caramel apple coated in red sprinkles or luster dust. Bring Frosty the Snowman to life by adding a jumbo marshmallow to the top of a caramel apple before dipping them both in white chocolate. A few chocolate chip “buttons" and a red licorice scarf will help tie it all together. Lastly, add candy eyes, a red nose and antlers, of course, to create everyone’s favorite reindeer out of a classic chocolate-covered caramel apple. There’s lots of ideas online for creating Rudolph’s antlers—from the easiest to the most realistic, you may want to try pipe cleaners, pretzel twists or sugar cookies for your antlers.
Marshmallows
Jumbo marshmallows make a quick and easy canvas for creating holiday magic. Put three jumbo marshmallows on a stick, coat them in white chocolate and decorate to make marshmallow snowmen pops that are too sweet to pass up. Click here to watch a tutorial by Two Sisters Crafting. All you need to make adorable gingerbread marshmallow pops are, your choice of caramel-coated marshmallows or marshmallows covered in peanut butter confectioner’s coating, some piped white chocolate and tiny sugar decorations.
Sandwich Cookies
If you don’t think of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer when looking at your favorite sandwich cookies, changing your perspective may increase your holiday sales. When RCI member Vande Walle’s Candies coated Nutter Butter sandwich cookies in chocolate and embellished them with a pair of candy eyes, pretzel twist antlers and a bright red nose, these cute reindeer treats reportedly “flew out the door,” they were so popular with their customers! For another spin on this idea, try substituting the Nutter Butter cookies with Oreo cookies on a stick.
More than ever, consumers are looking to social media for unique and memorable gift ideas this holiday season. Posting photos of your festive holiday treats on social media regularly will help your company capture the attention of consumers while they’re making their shopping list this season.
Crave more? If you like what you read here, look for the "Subscribe now" box on the right to enter your email address and start receiving weekly tips, like this, delivered straight to your email inbox. RCI's Tip of the Week blog is just one of the many resources we offer to help candy makers refine their craft and build upon their business and marketing practices.
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, April 30, 2019
Updated: Monday, April 27, 2020
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With summer around the corner, now is a good time to start thinking about new and exciting summer treats to roll out. S’mores are a summer staple for sure, but why not reimagine flavor combinations that will entice shoppers to take their s’mores to the next level.
Here’s five of our favorite s’mores combinations to spark your creativity!
The Peanut Butter Cup S’more
For all the peanut butter lovers out there, this addition is a win-win! For a twist, suggest adding a swipe of jam to turn this into a PB&J S’more.
The Sea Salt Caramel S’more
A sprinkle of sea salt will take everything to the next level, but imagine a melty sea salt caramel sandwiched between a toasty marshmallow and two graham crackers. If you have your own caramel sauce, this would be a great tie-in to achieve extra caramelly goodness! Yes, please!
The Chocolate-Covered Potato Chip S’more
Encourage shoppers to add an extra layer of crunch to their s’mores with a couple of chocolate-covered potato chips.
The Mint Chocolate S’more
Instead of a plain chocolate bar, pair marshmallows and a couple chocolate graham crackers with a mint chocolate meltaway.
The Toasted Coconut S’more
Adding toasted coconut marshmallows to a s’more is a sure-fire way to make any coconut fan melt. If toasted coconut marshmallows aren’t already part of your summer repertoire, we think they should be! Check out this recipe from Epicurious.
Once you’ve brainstormed all the different s’mores combinations available in your store, group them all together and display them as a “Build Your Own S’mores Bar,” as inspiration for shoppers’ to host a gourmet s’mores bar at backyard cookouts, birthday parties and even wedding receptions. We recommend including a sign with suggested flavor combinations featuring your confections, like RCI member, Marie's Candies.
Make your shop a one-stop destination for all the ingredients needed to make gourmet s'mores, including graham crackers, marshmallows and all the creative fixings!
Crave more? If you like what you read here, look for the "Subscribe now" box on the right to enter your email address and start receiving weekly tips, like this, delivered straight to your email inbox. RCI's Tip of the Week blog is just one of the many resources we offer to help candy makers refine their craft and build upon their business and marketing practices.
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, April 2, 2019
Updated: Monday, April 27, 2020
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Did you know April 30 is National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day?
When there’s a national holiday celebrating everything from potato chips to “talking like a pirate,” it may be difficult to take these holidays seriously. When you find a holiday that speaks to your heart, however, it can create an opportunity for you and your business to support a cause that you may not have otherwise thought would make sense for a candy business.
If helping our furry friends find a forever home makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, consider making these fun animal-themed treats as a way to raise funds for shelter animals in your local community.
Chocolatey Critters
Use your strengths to create fun and creative confections inspired by the critters that melt our hearts. Moonstruck Chocolate Co. of Portland, Oregon has become famous for their four-piece “Critter Truffle Collection,” which consists of handmade truffles resembling a bunny, cat, mouse and none other than a chocolate lab.
DIY (Decorate-It-Yourself) Dog & Cat Cookies
It will be raining dog and cat-lovers in your candy shop if you invite families to decorate their own chocolate-covered sandwich cookies like their favorite pets, in exchange for a donation to your local animal shelter. Click here for an easy step-by-step tutorial to make these cute cats by kidsactivitiesblog.com.
Party Animal Crackers
Animal crackers hold a special place in the heart of both kids and kids-at-heart, but when coated in chocolate that’s a game changer. When sold in small portions, these make great birthday party favors or a fun snack. Consider donating a portion of your sales of chocolate-covered animal crackers to a charity that serves animals.
Candy Bar Pups
These treats are so doggone cute, we couldn’t resist sharing! Although these are made using a Twix candy bar for the body, a Tootsie Roll for the ears and a Hershey Kiss for the head, you may be inspired to use other products that you make and sell in your own store. Click here to view the tutorial.
Pet-Friendly Dipped Treats
We all know chocolate isn’t safe for pets, however, RCI members, Boehm’s Candies Chocolates of Issaquah, Washington and Bomboy’s Home Made Candy of Havre De Grace, Maryland sell special dog treats made with safe alternatives that don’t contain actual chocolate. Boehm’s Candies offers 1.5-ounce dog treats dipped in peanut butter or white confectionery coating, while Bomboy’s Home Made Candy of Havre De Grace, MD sells Vanilla-Dipped Dog Bones for man’s best friend.
Sharing your animal-themed treats on social media are sure to catch people’s attention, especially if they’re not what your followers are used to seeing from you. Use this opportunity to tell your community about National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day and how they can show their support—by donating, adopting or volunteering (contact your local shelter for more ideas specific to your area). Encourage your followers to share your post with their animal-loving friends, and even if they don’t visit your store, at least your efforts will help create awareness about a cause that is important to you.
Crave more? If you like what you read here, look for the "Subscribe now" box on the right to enter your email address and start receiving weekly tips, like this, delivered straight to your email inbox. RCI's Tip of the Week blog is just one of the many resources we offer to help candy makers refine their craft and build upon their business and marketing practices.
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, August 28, 2018
Updated: Monday, April 27, 2020
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Find out which free graphic design tool we used to create this week's header.
Click hereto download this graphic and share it on your own social media pages. |
We can all agree teachers deserve a holiday! Remind your customers to celebrate World Teacher Day’s on Friday, October 5, 2018 by thanking the educators in their life with sweet treats that are sure to earn your candy shop an A+.
Take notes from RCI member, Dietsch Brothers, who creates custom tags and labels throughout the year to help theme their products as a way to encourage sales. Transform a basic chocolate bar into a thoughtful teacher gift by creating a custom wrapper that looks like a ruler and reads, “thanks for making this year rule!” Or add tags to your boxed chocolates and moulded chocolates that say “To the sweetest teacher.”
Don’t have an in-house graphic designer? Free graphic design websites like Canva or Crello make it easy for everyone to use, by offering free templates made by professionals that you can customize as needed. In fact, the header graphic above was created using Canva. These tools can also be utilized to create a coordinated look for in-store signage and even social media graphics to tell your followers about your sweet treats for teachers.
These custom graphics will not only take your merchandising to the next level, they can be easily updated and reused as the school year comes to an end and, then again, for back-to-school next year!
RCI's Tip of the Week blog is just one of the many resources we offer to help candy makers refine their craft and build upon their business and marketing practices. Review past blog posts for quick and actionable tips to apply to your business. Look for the "Subscribe now"box on the right to enter your email address and start receiving weekly tips, like this, delivered straight to your email inbox.
Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, February 13, 2018
Updated: Monday, April 27, 2020
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For being a rare and mystical creature, ironically, unicorns are everywhere these days! Consider incorporating these fun and simple unicorn-inspired treats into your spring and summer merchandising for some added sparkle, sure to inspire impulse purchases for birthdays, baby showers, and just for the fun of it!
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| Popsugar Food |
Unicorn Pops
Transform your favorite sandwich cookies into unicorns with a few easy steps. Click here to view a video tutorial by PopSugar.
RCI Tip: Kimberly Mitchell with Olympian Candies, suggests inserting wooden popsicle sticks into double-stuffed sandwich cookies to make this process easier and more efficient than using lollipop or sucker sticks.
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| Hostess with the Mostess |
Unicorn Horn Treats
All you need is sugar cones, colored confectionery coating and sprinkles to make magic in the form of unicorn horns. Click here to view the recipe from Hostess with the Mostess.
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| Lady Behind the Curtain |
Unicorn Pretzels
Who doesn’t love chocolate-covered pretzel rods? Add a swirl of caramel, bright colors and a little shimmer and your customers will feel the magic with every bite! Consider making a special batch for samples using the broken pretzel rods. Click here for a step-by-step tutorial.
RCI Tip: Open your bag of pretzels and leave it open the night or day before you plan to coat them. By allowing the pretzels to get slightly stale, you are removing moisture which helps prevent surface cracking in the chocolate.
Group these magical treats together for impact, and get creative with colorful unicorn merchandise and a fun framed unicorn printable ( click here to download a free unicorn printable from RCI) to create a whimsical world fit for a unicorn in your candy shop.
Stay connected with RCI through Facebook for more tips and inspiration dedicated to the retail candy maker. Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
Updated: Wednesday, April 29, 2020
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For members looking to gain creative ideas at RCI’s 2017 Annual Convention & Industry Expo, Candy Clinic did not disappoint. Since the thirties, this member-exclusive event has allowed RCI members from across the United States, Canada and abroad to share their best ideas and gain inspiration from fellow candy makers. Keep reading for an idea that won the award for best innovation at the latest Candy Clinic.
Inspired by an associate’s manicured finger nails, RCI member Cher Diamond of Maurie’s Fine Chocolates of Madison, shared a creative technique for applying cocoa butter to moulded chocolates. Water marbling is a technique used to create a unique nail polish design by adding droplets of nail polish to water before applying it to the nail. A similar effect can be achieved with cocoa butter and water.
Start by filling a bowl with room temperature water. If you read tutorials online for water marbling, they recommend using filtered or bottled water. Get cocoa butter spray, shake it up and spray it into the water. Because the oils in cocoa butter resist the water, the cocoa butter will float on top of the water, allowing you to create a unique design with a variety of different colored cocoa butters. Drag a toothpick or other similar object through the cocoa butter, cleaning it after each use.
Once the desired marbleized effect is achieved, take a finished moulded piece or just the shell and run it through the cocoa butter. Let each moulded piece dry for three hours or overnight. You may finish the piece by applying a glaze spray, but according to Cher, the cocoa butter will not rub off or detemper the chocolate.
If you’re looking to create stunning chocolate pieces, give this simple and fun water marbling technique a try and let us know how it turns out by leaving a comment below.
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, June 27, 2017
Updated: Wednesday, April 29, 2020
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If you attended RCI’s Annual Convention & Industry Expo June12-16 in Chicagoland, there’s a good chance you took away a lot of great ideas and inspiration. After returning to your business, you might be feeling overwhelmed and unsure of what to do with the new knowledge you’ve acquired. Consider using a mind map to organize your thoughts and apply them to your business.
What is a mind map? It’s a diagram used to visually outline information. Typically it begins with a word, image or phrase in the center and then other ideas and images branch out from the center across the page. One of the key benefits of a mind map is that an idea doesn’t have to be full or complete or even in sentence form in order to be displayed. The idea is that the process of a mind map resembles how your brain actually works!
Tips for an effective mind map:
- Start with a large piece of paper (Give your brain room to think!)
- Use images, not just words
- Vary the size, color and alignment of your images and text
- Keep topics and labels short (Think big picture.)
Mind maps are useful tools for individual creativity and also can help to get creative ideas flowing among a team of people. In your next team brainstorming session, consider using a whiteboard or oversized Post-it to map out ideas as they’re given and see where mind mapping can take you! If you prefer tech tools to paper versions, check out MindMeld or Mindmeister.
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Updated: Wednesday, April 29, 2020
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Spring is the perfect time to freshen up your merchandising displays. Save money by finding new uses for old items to create eye-popping displays with “wow factor!” Old ladders, tables, or wooden crates can make for unexpected and memorable ways to display your confections.
Before you spend any money, take a look at items currently used in your store, tucked away in storage or even at your home that could be repurposed or upcycled with a fresh coat of paint. Next, visit a local flea market and use your imagination to search for anything that could be a vesicle to display your products.
Take tips from RCI’s 2016 Merchandising Essentials course when seeking display pieces that help satisfy one or more of the following five design principles:
- Focal Point - Every display or category/department should have a focal point or a center of activity, interest or attention.
Old windows can be reimagined to create a stunning focal point as a glass-enclosed display case. Photo property ofre-store.org |
- Balance (symmetrical or asymmetrical) – Symmetrical balance is created by repeating the reverse of a design (or a mirror image) on the opposite side of the vertical axis. Symmetrical balance is considered formal, sophisticated and easy to visually digest. Asymmetrical balance is more informal, yet dynamic, achieving balance through contrast, using different elements that have equal weight.
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An open trunk or small suitcase can be repurposed into shelving to create the perfect opportunity for a symmetrical display. Check outremodelaholic.comfor tutorial on how to create a bookshelf (pictured above) out of an antique trunk.
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Upcycle tired tables with vibrant paint to create an asymmetrical balance display, like the ones fromresene.compictured above.
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- Pyramid Merchandising – This principle is achieved by creating a pyramid of product, with the top being the focal point that attracts attention. This is a very effective and foolproof merchandising technique.
Here's an example of pyramid merchandising created by repurposing an old ladder as a shelf. Learn how to build your own by viewing a tutorial at lovegrowswild.com
- Repetition - Create a striking and clean display through the repetition of many of the same or similar products.
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The repetition of inexpensive, painted wooden crates used bychickaniddy.commakes an impact as a wall display.
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- Harmony – A pleasing combination or arrangement of different things will make your customer feel comfortable and at ease.
With an open mind and a little elbow grease, you can breathe new life into old furniture and flea market finds to create merchandising displays that will get your customers saying “WOW!” without breaking the bank.
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