Choco le`a Christmas
Hi Chocolate Friends!
I’m sharing something brand new which is what chocolates I personally buy for Christmas and for who! I know it’s tough to decide who to give what for Christmas, so have included my most recent Choco le`a blog titled, “Behind the Business of Retail Christmas.” I share all about our entire Christmas menu, the reason why behind the business that Christmas is so critical, and how we decided very carefully to create each special based on past experiences.
Below each item in italics is “e” for erin’s experience or my personal recommendations found ONLY HERE . Hope this helps to make your holiday shopping, a little more sweet and simple!
Behind The Business of Retail Christmas
Hi Chocolate Friends,
We've made our Christmas list and checked it twice! ✔️✔️ (Well, more like 20+ times) :p
We’re ready for you and launching a preview of our Christmas specials! The holiday season is a BIG deal for us and many retail businesses. We plan, train, prep, and honestly count on Christmas. In this “The Sweet Life” blog series, it’s not always "sweet" or easy, and small businesses like ours look forward to the holidays.
This week, we will give you a #behindthebusiness look at the Christmas retail business.
We create our menu based on you, our chocolate friends! We listen to your feedback and adjust based on your wants and needs. Here are the things we’ve noticed and learned about Christmas as we gotten to know you, our chocolate friends, over the past 7 years. Every year we get better as we've progressed from making as we go in December to planning ahead one month at a time. This year, we got our earliest start back in May since we are really counting on Christmas in this coronavirus.
Here’s what we’ve learned about retail business at Christmas and what we've created for you as thanks to you!!
Must Have Classics
Familiar classics are tried and true favorites! Our signature product, truffles, will be available in the classic Christmas flavors of peppermint, gingerbread, toffee, dark fudge, sugar cookie dough, and spiced caramel! ✔️
e: If I really want to give someone the Choco le`a experience, I always share truffles. I am gifting this to brand new friends made this past year, teachers, and the usual aunties and uncles who appreciate quality and who look forward to their hand-crafted, delicate, and easy to eat truffles every year.
Options
Who doesn't love options? Our Classic Christmas truffle boxes will be available in 4pc, 9pc, and 18pc options. There will even be two different box designs for the 4pc box! ✔️
e: For everyone I feel needs a little extra hope, a reminder that Jesus is the reason for the season, and I may be ministering to, I will give them the red box with the cross this year! It’s a super special one because I added the cross to the box after the final approval was signed and while it was ready to print and on the press! Couldn’t help it…felt like the Holy Spirit was leading me to be bold this season. Oh and of course gifting this to the pastor and serve teams!
Same But Better
The classics must be included and this year, we made it even better! Warm Cocoa Wishes is this year’s hot chocolate - made even more beautiful and easier to melt in warm water or milk after further research & development and requests for a “cocoa bomb-like” drink. ✔️
e: I’m giving this to all the students in my kids’ classes, to all the nieces and nephews, everyone I want to give a small gift too and am pairing this for some friends I want to give a special set to that will include Warm Cocoa Wishes, a mug, candle, book, journal, and pen.
Brand New
There always needs to be something exciting and new and it’s especially appreciated by our loyal returnees! Our Merry Mint Bark led by our CDO, Sarah, is cool, refreshing, and something totally scrumptious and new! ✔️
e: I am getting a lot of these this year to share with family and friends who I’ve given chocolates to year after year because they know all of our products and are excited for something totally new! This one is also going to the neighbors with kids so they can all share rather than buying individual gifts for the parents and kids. Makes my life sweeter and they don’t mind getting a big old box of chocolates (that tastes like ice cream mint sandwiches) that they can all dive into and enjoy!
Must Bring Back
Some things are so good and in such high demand, they need to come back at least once a quarter! Our Crunch a le`a in Classic & Reverse will be back because everyone asks about it and there is something special, like a tradition, about giving the same people the same thing every year! Plus it makes it easier for you both since you know what you’re going to give and they know what to expect! ✔️
e: I’m keeping this one in my back pocket in case I forget anyone and if not Conner and I will really enjoy it ourselves. Or in case someone forgets to get this and “cries” to me. LOL! That always happens too. I always get sad face emojis and texts “I missed the Crunch a le`a” so will keep this surprise in my refrigerator to turn around someone’s day!
Keep A Tradition, But Change With The Season
Some traditions need to be adjusted to match the season! Our Chocolate Oreos aka Cookies for Santa, are made so that Santa can grab it and go take-out style, not dine in due to coronavirus. Even Santa on the packaging is masked up! Same delicious taste, but with a seasonal cheery twist. ✔️
e: I am giving this to the guys (the men love our Chocolate Oreos for some reason) and the families with little kids. They’ll be ready for Santa and mom will be happy I helped get them one last thing to prepare and think about and pretty sure dads will be happy too! And will of course keep one marked in our refrigerator for our kids to leave for Santa.
Something For Everyone
There must be the return of the dark chocolate and nuts for all of the health conscious and seniors and who I like to call the “nutty” folks like me who have an obsession with dark chocolate and nuts and wait all year for this. There has to be something for everyone on the list! ✔️
e: I get this one for myself!!!! Haha…this is my absolute favorite of pretty much anything we make all year. I’ll also get one for my grandma, and my “nutty” friends. Truthfully, I still have the one from 2020 in my refrigerator for research and development purposes and found it’s still good to eat! Us “nutty” folks like to store up nuts for the winter (and spring, summer, and fall since we don’t do this all year long).
Wow Factor
Some friends want to make a BIG impact and a big statement with something that has a "wow" factor! That's our limited supply of a $100 Crunch a le`a Bar for someone super special or for a family to break up and share! ✔️
e: These are limited so am honestly not taking any for my family or friends and will leave them for our chocolate friends so they have the opportunity to make a WOW impact this year!
Baking Chocolate
I completely forgot to share this one on my blog!!! Everyone loves to bake during the holidays and our solid dark chocolate bars are so simple to add into your brownies, cake, chocolate chip cookies, or any other Christmas kitchen traditions you have! ✔️
e: I get this for everyone I know who loves to bake! My mother-in-law, aunties, chef friends, and even kids planning to make Gingerbread Houses! It’s also a really easy stocking stuffer for adults or anyone a little health conscious or allergic to a lot of things.
Mailing/Shipping
If you want to send out a little sweet treat, now is the best time since the winter months are usually a bit cooler. Unfortunately, we don't ship but that makes it extra SWEET when you send our chocolates which are made in Hawai`i and only available in Hawai`i! We have a wide assortment of “shelf stable” shippable chocolates this year that you can pack into our convenient cooler bags, aka your gift wrapping, with a pack of ice. ✔️ Or if you want to tuck a Choco le'a gift card in with your Christmas card, we can help you with that too! ✔️
e: I’m sending my usual boxes to Japan to the family and friends there who wait all year for our chocolates. I’m also keeping two gift cards in my wallet in case I run into someone that I feel called to bless this holiday season and will be glad I have something sweet on me just in case!
Price Points & Pretty Packaging
Gifts at every price range are available from $5 stocking stuffers, $20 - 30 items for a more substantial gift of chocolate, and larger bundled gifts at $100+. ✔️
Pretty packaging is always appreciated by our chocolate friends so one other special thing we did this year, which we’ve never done before, is coordinate ALL of our Christmas packaging from the gift tags to the bag tents to the box sleeves. You’ll see a running theme of Christmas foliage and a fun holiday character so you can make your own matching sets OR you can go for the red box with the cross to celebrate Jesus is the reason for the season! Your choice. ✔️
We know everyone could use a little more cheer this year so you’ll see little notes in red on the back of each packaging that will hopefully bring a smile to all! ✔️
e: You’ll see there’s a range of price points because I need that too to make my holiday shopping easy and so that I can get something for everyone on my list and within budget! (See previous blog about Christmas lists and budgeting). As for the packaging, a lot of my time and effort with the team went into this and some of my little corny Christmas rhymes didn’t make the cut, but others did! Look for them in red on the back of ever bag or box!
Deals
Friends love a special deal! We’re spreading the joy with a sweet price on our Dark Chocolate Bar Set, shiny Rose Gold Cooler bags, and our very own book! No code needed. ✔️
e: Please buy cooler bags and books! The cooler bags are no joke being stored in our house right now because there is no space in our shop or kitchen or additional storage units we are using and the books are packed with very meaningful real stories so that it may bring inspiration, helpful tips, and true lasting PEACE to others by connecting them to the source. Thank you!!!
Safe, Wrapped, & Ready
With the pandemic, friends prefer individually wrapped, sealed, and made in a food-safe, commercial kitchen regularly inspected by the Department of Health ! ✔️
Most friends don’t like to wrap and want everything ready to go with a bag and you can even add on a tag! ✔️
e: This is totally me! You’re welcome friends who also don’t like to wrap. Our super awesome chocolate family/chocolate crew/Christmas Elves take care of all of this for you!
Chocolate Compliments
Friends love to add-on other Christmas specials with the chocolates, which is why we did a super sweet small holiday run of feel good and smell oh so good Peppermint Hot Cocoa Reed Diffusers & Candles with matching designs by our friends at Jules & Gem. ✔️
e: I’ve had one Peppermint Hot Cocoa Reed Diffuser in my room since October to get pumped for the holidays and man does it smell good! I leave it by my jewelry box and every morning when I get ready and wind down for the night, it reminds me of Christmas and cozy goodness this favorite time of the year. I’m also using the candle during my morning routine so will pair this with the book and other goodies for some girlfriends. I’m getting the diffuser for grandma who is still mainly stuck indoors, for people who I know love chocolates but don't eat a lot, and for everyone who is obsessed and LOVES Christmas like me and wants to breathe it in!
Shopping Plans
Some people plan ahead and want to know by mid November and others want to walk in last minute and just know they can get something really good. So we’re launching an early preview for you to plan and letting you pick up as early as Black Friday with all the usual order and pick up options available AND we’re adding on extended shop hours as we get closer to Christmas. We probably spent the most time estimating the quantities to make so we'll hopefully have enough for everyone through December 23rd. ✔️
e: I’m a planner so we got everything planned for you in case you’re not a planner. We got you! And if you are, hope these blogs, emails, photos, etc can help you to do your best planning!
Christmas can be stressful and I’ve met chocolate friends who get anxious every holiday and that’s why we strive every year to learn what you need, what you want, and make it sweet and simple for you so you’re all set. ✔️
Always freshly made, made in Hawai`i, dark (but not bitter) chocolates! Yay! ✔️
If you’re looking for a few more ideas or inspiration, I will unpack more on my blog page like how I plan and budgeteer Christmas list!
Hope we can help you “Bring peace to our world, one Christmas gift at a time.” Can’t wait for you to experience all that we’ve been working on for half of the year! Thank you chocolate friends and Happy Holidays!
With love always,
Erin + your chocolate family
