Every sweet shop worth its salt (and sugar) knows that stocking retro sweets isn’t just good practice—it’s good business. The familiar fizz of sherbet, the squidge of a jelly baby, and the satisfying crunch of a Kola Cube are more than flavours; they’re memories, bottled and bagged. And in today’s world of TikTok crazes and boutique bonbons, the classics still stand tall—as your till will gladly attest.

The Top-Selling Retro Sweets Every Shop Should Stock

We’ve spent decades surrounded by shelves of sugar, and we can tell you with certainty: these are the sweets that never leave quietly. They’re the ones customers ask for by name, the ones that make adults grin like six-year-olds and children think they’ve discovered treasure. If you’re wondering what to line your jars and fill your scoops with, here’s your master list:

• Flying Saucers: These fizzy paper discs of joy are a childhood staple and one of the most recognisable pick n mix icons ever created.
• Barratt Fruit Salads & Black Jacks: Individually wrapped and relentlessly nostalgic, they’re pocket money well spent every time.
• Foam Shrimps & Foam Bananas: Soft, fruity, and slightly weird in the best possible way. They're the sweets that confuse newcomers and delight loyalists.
• Kola Cubes: A boiled sweet with bite, crackle, and cola flavour so strong you’ll hear the 80s calling.
• Rhubarb & Custards: Sweet meets sour in this absolute belter that never stays on shelves long.
• Jelly Babies: Plump, sweet, and comforting—like a hug for your mouth.
• Haribo Giant Cola Bottles: Towering titans of the gummy world, and guaranteed crowd-pleasers.
• Sherbet Fountains & Double Dips: Utterly chaotic, gloriously messy, and loved precisely for that reason.
• Liquorice Allsorts & Jelly Spogs: Still dependable sellers, perfect for the sophisticated sweetie snacker.
• Coconut Mushrooms: A soft chew with a furry coat—sounds wrong, feels right.

What Makes These Sweets So Profitable?

• High nostalgia factor—customers come for the memories and leave with a bag of bliss.
• Consistent sellers across online and physical shops.
• Strong profit margin potential, especially when sold in sweet tubs or 1kg bags.
• Perfect for kids’ party sweets and nostalgic gift hampers.

A Sweet Shop Owner’s Secret Weapon

You’ve got customers who haven’t changed their order since 1979. You’ve got TikTok teens discovering flying saucers like they’re the next big dance trend. And you’ve got Monmore behind you—keeping your shelves stocked and your sweets snatched up. It’s the combination of consistent bestsellers, unbeatable bulk sweets pricing, and our famously fast turnaround that makes this list your secret weapon.

Brands You Can Count On

• Haribo: The gummy goliath—still the biggest name in sweets.
• Taveners: Traditional brilliance in every boiled sweet.
• Barratt: A British icon, known for Black Jacks, Fruit Salads, and so much more.

Final Words (No, Not from the Dentist)

These retro champions aren’t going anywhere. Whether you’re filling jars, scooping into pick n mix trays, or wrapping for mail orders, these retro sweets will keep tills ringing and customers returning. They’re the ones that pay the bills and stir the soul—and at Monmore, we’ve got them all.