Jelly Belly To Keep Outlet Store

Jelly Belly To Keep Outlet Store
Second Vacaville Retail Location To Serve Different Customer Base
By John Ireland/Business Writer

Candy lovers were flashing their sweet teeth Tuesday with the confirmation that Vacaville will soon be doubling its sugar content with a second Jelly Belly retail store.

In the midst of trumpeting the April 21 opening of the Jelly Belly Candy Company's new outlet in Sacramento's Gateway Shopping Center, the Fairfield-based business also had some tasty tidings for Vacaville.

There were some fears that the Jelly Belly location opening at the end of April in the Market Pavilion section of Nut Tree Village would mark the end of the company's store in Vacaville Premium Outlet center.

John Jamison, Jelly Belly's director of retail merchandising, said the company is "still very committed to the Premium Outlet location."

He noted that the original location "will continue to offer our full range of product, including Belly Flops and additional sale candy. The Nut Tree store will only have our regular-priced assortment of product."

Jamison said the two stores are forecast to cater to separate retail bases.

"The outlets have different customers, who are shopping from out of town," he said. "They are not necessarily the same customers who will go visit Nut Tree Park."

Jamison said Jelly Belly is excited at the prospect of opening in Nut Tree.

"Actually, we've been excited for the last two years, ever since we first heard about the project," he said.

Counting a store opening this summer in the Folsom outlet mall, the Jelly Belly Candy Company is about to double the number of its locations in 2007 alone. In addition to the six stores, there are also a pair of visitors' centers, one in Fairfield, and a second one in Pleasant Prairie, Wis.

According to Jamison, that may still not be enough retail space to accommodate what has become the public's hunger for a new taste sensation.

Apparently, Jelly Belly's pomegranate has quickly become the "American Idol" of confectionary.

"It's flying off the shelves," Jamison said of the fruit-flavored treat. "It's exceeding our expectations and is just exploding for us."

John Ireland can be contacted at business@thereporter.com.