A Vancouver candy retailer is marking a decade in business by reopening its flagship store following renovations and preparing to launch an online shop aimed at extending its reach beyond its single physical location.
Rami Hawari, co-owner of The Candy Room with his wife Maya Hawari, said the business has grown steadily by positioning itself as a destination for international and hard-to-find confectionery while maintaining a focus on product innovation and customer demand.
“We started back in 2016. So it’s our 10-year anniversary this month now,” Hawari said, noting the company continues to operate from its original Robson Street location.
The milestone comes as the retailer completes upgrades to the approximately 1,400-square-foot store, which recently reopened after renovations. Hawari said the business has maintained a deliberate strategy of concentrating resources on a single bricks-and-mortar site while exploring new channels for growth.
For now, that growth is expected to come through e-commerce rather than additional physical locations.
“We are now launching our online shop,” he said. “We are doing lots of efforts now on the online shop. It should be up and running, hopefully sometime next month.”
Customer demand drives online expansion
Hawari said customer demand has played a key role in shaping that decision, particularly from visitors who travel to Vancouver and later want to repurchase products from their home provinces or countries.
“Lots of our customers are asking us to have an online store, especially those who come and visit from different provinces or from outside the country,” he said. “They wanted to buy the products again.”
The planned online platform is expected to carry between 2,000 and 3,000 items and offer shipping across Canada and internationally, potentially widening the company’s customer base while allowing it to build on brand recognition established through its physical storefront.
Since its launch, The Candy Room has sought to differentiate itself by emphasizing direct imports and a curated assortment of nostalgic and global confectionery. Hawari said the founding concept was to move beyond what he described as a traditional candy store format.
“When I first decided to open the store back in 2016, we wanted to present a candy store which is different than the traditional candy stores,” he said. “The focus was, and still is, to bring candies from all around the world to the customer base.”
The company has also built its identity around bulk product selection. Hawari said the store initially introduced more than 420 bulk candy options and has since expanded that offering following the recent renovation.
Emphasis on variety and international sourcing
“Once we just reopened now, it’s more than 440, something like that, different bulk items we have in the bin,” he said, adding he believes the store’s selection ranks among the largest in the country.
The emphasis on variety and international sourcing has shaped the retailer’s growth trajectory, according to Hawari, who described the business as becoming known for introducing emerging confectionery trends and unique flavours to the local market.
“We became like a trendsetter in that sense of the international candy trend,” he said. “It became known as exotic candy in terms of unique flavours and unique products in the market.”
While the company has remained focused on a single storefront, Hawari said the strategy reflects both operational discipline and a desire to strengthen the existing retail experience before pursuing broader physical expansion.
“For now, we’re focusing on that as a retail store,” he said.
Hawari’s interest in the confectionery sector predates the launch of The Candy Room. He said his family has been involved in the candy business for generations, providing early exposure to industry knowledge and shaping his long-term career direction.
“I come from a family who’s been in the candy business since my grandfather’s days,” he said. “I’ve always been around candy talk and the candy industry insights since I was a kid.”
That background contributed to his decision to pursue entrepreneurship within the sector, eventually leading to the creation of the Robson Street shop.
“I always had it on the back of my mind, whatever I do, candy was the main thing I always fell back to,” he said.
Over the past decade, Hawari said the business has built a reputation among candy enthusiasts seeking specialty products and nostalgic brands that are not widely available through conventional retail channels.
“The growth was very steady,” he said. “We became like the candy destination in Vancouver for all candy lovers and candy enthusiasts.”
Maintaining a focus on innovation
Looking ahead, Hawari said the company intends to maintain its focus on innovation, product sourcing and industry partnerships as it navigates its next phase.
“We always focus on innovation in terms of bringing new products, collaborating, that’s what sets us apart from all other people in the industry,” he said.
With its renovated store now open and online operations expected to launch soon, The Candy Room’s leadership is positioning the business to build on a decade of niche retail success while testing new ways to connect with customers beyond its West Coast base.
“We have the heritage we have, the history we have in the industry, and the focus we have on international candy and the knowledge in that domain,” Hawari said.
The Candy Room is celebrating its 10-year anniversary with a soft opening right now of its renovated store. The grand opening is Friday March 20.
“We wanted to build a space that feels nostalgic yet current, where customers can discover viral, limited-edition and hard-to-find sweets from around the world,” said Maya Hawari.
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