Swedish candy darling BonBon is entering its big-box era
BonBon, a New York City-based Swedish candy brand, is about to hit Target’s shelves. It’s the exact kind of mass retail move that usually flattens a cult brand’s specificity into something generic and uninteresting. But at BonBon, the founding creative team is betting on the opposite: that the brand’s design discipline, run almost entirely through one artist’s hand, is what allows the company to…
New York City-based Swedish candy brand BonBon is set to expand its presence through a major retail move onto Target shelves. This expansion is a departure from the brand's usual experience, as the founders believe their design discipline, led by artist Simon Dahlgren Strååt, will help them maintain their authentic Swedish candy culture while scaling up.
BonBon was founded in 2017 by Robert Persson, Selim Adira, and Leo Schaltz, who missed the quality Swedish candy they left behind in Sweden. They opened their first shop on the Lower East Side in 2018 and expanded to a second location in Williamsburg in 2020. Target will be BonBon's first big-box retail partner, with more stores to follow.
The brand's identity is built around the Swedish tradition of "Saturday candy," or Lördagsgodis, which emphasizes joy, whimsy, and nostalgia. The founders prioritize creating a unique in-store experience with Scandinavian design elements like warm wood, brass fixtures, and romantic textiles. BonBon's candy is made in Sweden using Swedish ingredients, setting it apart from other Swedish candy brands in the U.S. With a cult following and a strong focus on retail experience, BonBon aims to bring the same level of care and design eye to their new Target stores as they did to their original candy.
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