On Halloween day, New York City’s oldest retail candy shop flips its business model, giving away more treats than it sells. Economy Candy, a long-standing fixture on the Lower East Side, sets up outside its storefront to hand out massive amounts of candy to neighborhood children and locals.
Third-generation owner Mitchell Cohen considers the holiday the store’s “Super Bowl.” The annual community giveaway runs from 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM outside their location at 108 Rivington St. As per their website:
Trick or treating will be available at our Rivington Street location from 2:30-5:30pm on October 31st and is open to children in costume. The sweets we give away vary and are available on a first come, first served basis. We are still confirming this year’s treat assortment and cannot confirm what will be available for the costumed kids who visit us. In years past we’ve given out full size candy bars, 1 pound bags of chocolate coins, limited edition candy varieties and of course, handfuls of classic trick or treat style fun size and mini candy and chocolate bars.
Vintage Classics and Global Imports
The retail shop has been in business since 1937, steadily approaching its 100-year anniversary. The city recently recognized this legacy by co-naming the nearby corner after Cohen’s grandfather, Morris “Moishe” Cohen. Inside, the floor-to-ceiling shelves hold over 2,500 different items, preserving candies that many shoppers assume are no longer manufactured.
Cohen notes that customers are regularly surprised to find discontinued-seeming nostalgic items still in stock, including Circus Peanuts, Mary Janes, Fireballs, and Lemonheads. Alongside these vintage American classics, the inventory has expanded globally over the years. Half of the store’s stock is now international, importing hard-to-find treats directly from Japan, China, and Australia.
Bulk Buying and Price Freezes
For those stocking up to hand out their own treats, the store’s bread and butter remains its five-pound bags of candy and chocolate mixes. Customers buy massive bags of Tootsie Rolls, Caramel Squares, and Double Bubble to prepare for trick-or-treaters. Despite rising costs across the city, Cohen notes that these five-pound bags still sell for $20—the exact same price they cost in 2016.
Whether visitors are searching for small pick-and-mix Smarties or massive bulk bags, the historic shop continues to anchor the neighborhood’s sugar-fueled traditions.