Sweet Places: M&M’s World Store Times Square

Monday, November 5, 2007 - by Sera

I was in New York City with some time on my hands a few weeks ago and I figured my time couldn’t be better spent searching out some candy! I decided to check out the 25,000-square-foot M&M’s World Store that opened its doors to the public in December of last year. The thing that struck me very funny about the exact location at 48th and Broadway is that it’s right across the street from the Hershey Store! Coincidence?

Once inside the store you’re immediately bombarded with bright colors and all sorts of items and merchandise displaying the M&M’s logo. You’re quickly greeted by the store employees who inform you there are three levels to the store and you should check them all out!

I knew I’d want to hit the actual candy last (who wants to lug a bag full of candy all over the store?) so I figured out all the sweet stuff was on the second level. I breezed through the first floor (mainly dedicated to apparel and key chains) and then took the stairs to the third level.

The third level is where all the “creative” M&M’s items were, such as kitchenware stuff like dish towels, napkins, plates, glasses etc. In another corner were all the wedding items (name place holders, table settings, ring pillows, souvenir plush toys, picture frames). Another held the sale rack (unfortunately sporting M&M’s NASCAR gear… ha ha, get it?) and the M&M’s pajama sets, which I admit were pretty cute. Along the one side that faced the street was all the jewelry one could ask for, just in case you wanted to show your love for candy with some M&M’s bling.

Now comes the good part, the second level where all the candy is! All things considered, I didn’t find everything as pricey as I had feared. They all seemed pretty standard to the prices listed on the website, and they had all sorts of different packaged sets and items of M&M’s to fit any budget. There was only one tiny shelf dedicated to the other items provided by Mars (think Twix, Snickers, Milky Way and 3 Musketeers) and everything else was M&M’s.

I browsed all the different candy options I had before zeroing in on what I was after: the limited edition M&M’s flavors. I looked at the rack and saw they were having a 3 for $15 special and I knew I had some big decisions to make. There are six in all: Mint, Dark Chocolate Cherry, Orange Creme, Cherry Almondine, Vanilla Crisp and Chocolate Mocha. What to pick? I immediately eliminated the mint, since I don’t like mint too much and I grabbed the Cherry Almondine since it sounded so tempting. In order to pick my final two I needed to pace around a lot, scratch my chin in deep thought and of course harass the employees by asking which flavors they liked. In the end, I left with the Cherry Almondine, Orange Creme and Vanilla Crisp. Reviews coming soon!

I checked out at the cashier and left the store with my purchases all giddy with the prospect of tasting my new treats. The M&M’s World Store is worth checking out if you’re in the area, even if all the merchandise doesn’t appeal for you. Eye candy is good too, right?

Oh, and no trip is complete without running next door to cavort with the Hershey competition!

• M&M’s World Website

Buy M&M’s online:

• at Candy Crate
• at CandyDirect.com
• at Amazon.com

M&M’s, store, Mars, merchandise, New York City, chocolate