Author: Sharon Frederick

Web Article Release

October 11, 2010

Chocolate has long held a special place in the hearts and taste buds of Americans. This is especially true during Halloween and Christmas. Halloween is a time when children become elated with thoughts of consuming the colossal stockpile of chocolates collected during trick or treat. Adults too have long been flattered when receiving chocolates wrapped in an array of colors and encased in special containers during Christmas time.

Luckily a lack of demand for chocolate has never been a serious issue for confectioners. This is especially true today in the United States, where chocolate of various forms can be bought in venues ranging from supermarkets to auto repair shops and home improvement stores.

Prior to the industrial age, the production and packaging of chocolate was a more personalized process, making this sweet confection a treasured and much appreciated holiday gift. Interest in customized chocolate treats was so immense during the Christmas season confectioners often struggled with meeting the demand.

In modern times, the gift of chocolate is still very much an important and popular part of the Halloween and Christmas seasons. But its widespread availability has made it more challenging to evoke that prized feeling once synonymous with receiving Christmas and Halloween gifts of chocolate.

As a result, more and more consumers are making their chocolate purchases on the Internet, opting for custom-wrapped and personalized candy created by companies driven to give meaning back to the gift of chocolate.

One of the driving forces in the custom-wrapped candy market is Carson Wrapped Hershey's Chocolates, a company that has sold over a hundred million custom-wrapped chocolate bars since its inception by Ed Carson in 1993. Carson's Web site, www.wrappedhersheys.com, is a popular shopping spot for holiday chocolate gifts. The site features a vast array of uniquely designed Christmas gift baskets and tins stuffed with Hershey's candies, the world's most popular crafted chocolate.

"Christmas is a time when people want to give something that will be remembered. There's definitely some nostalgia (associated with) with chocolates, especially Hershey's chocolates," said Michelle Beal, Vice President of Sales for CARSON Wrapped Hershey's. "Everybody loves chocolate, so it's an easy (gift) choice. But we try to do something unique each year that will make our customers want to continue coming back to us."

One item popular with wrappedhersheys.com customers this Halloween are large and miniature-sized Hershey's chocolate bars wrapped in custom designed wrappers. Ideal for trick or treating and great to give away as party favors or classroom treats. Fill-in-the-Blank Halloween wrappers include a space to inscribe the names of the giver and receiver.

Carson's line of holiday candy gifts also includes stylish Halloween-themed chocolate-filled tins and a variety of sharply designed buckets and pails perfect for trick or treating. Carson also has a large assortment of custom note cards for customers wanting to include a personal message with Halloween treats shipped directly to recipients.

Many of Carson's sales come from repeat customers, including corporations and everyday consumers looking for something special to give to family and friends. These clients are not only satisfied with the company's service, but the response they receive from giving a gift different from the chocolate available at many local stores.

"One of the great things about us is that we can do absolutely anything that our customers want," said Beal about Carson's wrapper designing capabilities. "It's a small company, and our people really care about what they do. I think the fact that we take pride and care (about our work) is the reason why our customer satisfaction is so high."