Jelly beans can be a lucrative seller when running a gift shop, retail store or grocer. Although the jelly bean has been around for thousands of years as different forms of jelly candy, the jelly bean we all know of appeared in the 1800's and can supplement your retail store or gift shop. Even larger markets and grocers carry this product from jelly bean makers.

In order to fully take advantage of this great seller, you should gain as much information about jelly beans as possible, including getting the best possible jelly beans pricing and costs and how to utilize their sell ability in your business. A few ideas include getting free freight from jelly bean manufacturers, ordering in bulk and finding the right type of jelly bean products with jelly bean wholesalers.

1. Save funds by using jelly bean wholesalers who offer free shipping.

2. Utilize savings with jelly bean suppliers who specialize in bulk sales.

3. Get wholesale jelly beans in order to dispense your budget more efficiently.

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Utilize free shipping and freight from a jelly bean wholesaler

Shipping and freight costs on ordering jelly beans can cost a minimal amount such as $10 or so until you purchase in bulk. By saving on shipping with free freight offers, you can utilize that extra money on making a larger purchase, saving you more time and expense.

I recommend: Jelly Belly offers free UPS standard shipping on all orders over $50 and Candy Favorites has free shipping for most orders over $59.99.

Take advantage of savings from a jelly bean maker who offers bulk sales

Bulk sales from a jelly bean supplier is an excellent way to cut costs. A 10 pound box of assorted jelly beans is approximately $43 but by using bulk pricing you can get over 21 pounds at approximately the same price.

I recommend: Metro Candy and Nut offers bulk pricing in all of their candies, including jelly beans. Candy Direct has a variety of jelly beans, all in bulk availability.

Purchase from a jelly bean manufacturer that offers wholesale products

Getting your jelly beans wholesale is an great way of saving money because you will be paying lower prices than retail. You can save quite a bit since a pound of retail jelly beans can cost around $9 and you can get them wholesale at around $4 per pound and lower.

I recommend: Oh Nuts offers many name brand jelly beans at wholesale prices in order to save you money. Wonderful Wholesale Warehouse has wholesales prices on name brands such as Jelly Belly and regular jelly beans.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Consider a dispenser that distributes jelly beans for impulse sales in auto repair shops, gift shops and retail stores.

The jelly bean is a semi-hard shelled, gel-filled, bean-shaped sugar candy. Popular around Easter over the past few decades, jelly beans have been in the U.S. since the early 1900s. Jelly beans are just for Easter any more. They are offered year round in colors applicable to the closest holiday. For instance, you'll find red and white jelly beans around Valentine's Day. Orange and black are popular at Halloween.

Jelly bean makers stick with the traditional colors of red, black, white, green, yellow, blue, orange, pink, and purple with matching flavors of cherry, licorice, vanilla, lime, lemon, blueberry, orange, rose, and grape, but in recent years have expanded into designer and gourmet flavors. Consider the following info on jelly beans: Some interesting tidbits about jelly beans:

1. Celebrate National Jelly Bean Day on April 22nd each year.

2. Sixteen million jelly beans are manufactured each year for Easter.

3. The jelly bean is a staple in the candy world and will be around for a long time.

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Comparison shop for the best prices and greatest flavors in jelly beans

Jelly bean suppliers sell their products in quantities as small as single packages to as large as by the case. You can search online for stores that sell your favorite brand of jelly bean in your local area, or you can order online.

I recommend: Commerce Online offers a directory of close to 200 jelly bean suppliers and manufacturers. Nationwide Candy sells jelly bean flavors including Life Savers and Pee Wee jelly beans.

Experience the jelly bean making process

It's always interesting to learn the process behind the treat. Jelly beans are too difficult to make at home, although you could try. Because of the processing time for each step, it is much easier to shop for your favorite flavors rather than make them.

I recommend: Jelly Belly offers an online virtual tour detailing the creative process behind the jelly bean. They also offer live tours of their Wisconsin and California jelly bean manufacturing factories.

Find jelly bean wholesalers

It pays to shop around, especially if you want to buy in bulk. Jelly bean manufacturers generally offer many varieties of flavors and sometimes the ability to mix and match packages within a carton.

I recommend: An extensive offering of wholesale jelly beans can be bought through Candy Favorites with discounts available for meeting their minimum order requirements. Sugar Stand online candy store offers many jelly bean flavors. Wonderful Wholesale Warehouse offers 43 different flavors of jelly beans available to buy in bulk.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  It takes six to 10 days for a jelly bean maker to make a jelly bean.
• •  Jelly beans don't melt easily due to the process behind the making the shell coating.
• •  You can now find sugar-free jelly beans.

Jelly bean makers in the United States began making this popular sometime around the mid-eighteenth century. It is uncertain exactly when jelly beans originated, but candy manufacturers believe that a Middle Eastern confection known as Turkish delight was the inspiration behind the product. Jelly beans wouldn't be jelly beans without a process known as panning, which uses heated beeswax or other waxy substances to create the hard outer shell. Once done in small pans, large machines create the candy shell we all know. Because of the hardening process, jelly beans take six to ten days to make.

Spring holidays are the most popular time for jelly beans, but there are so many different color and flavor mixes that jelly beans are a great year-round treat. For those looking for more information about jelly beans, there are basically three jelly beans types and styles:

1. Find traditional jelly beans with flavor in the coating.

2. Look for gourmet jelly beans with flavor in the coating and the filling.

3. Consider sugar-free jelly beans as an alternative.

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Enjoy traditional jelly beans

The traditional style of jelly beans has flavor in the outer shell. Some jelly bean suppliers will even customize a bag or tin of jelly beans for promotional purposes.

I recommend: CandyWarehouse.com offers traditional jelly beans by Brachs, one of the most popular candy and jelly bean manufacturers. InkHead Promotional Products has traditional jelly beans in a wide variety of promotional packaging options. Be sure to check out jumbo-size traditional jelly beans at Oh! Nuts.

Get to know gourmet jelly beans

Gourmet jelly beans have flavor in the outer shell and the inside. They often have a greater variety of flavors than traditional jelly beans. The most recent trend in jelly beans, first inspired by the Harry Potter series, is bad-tasting flavors such as earwax and rotten egg mixed with regular flavors.

I recommend: Jelly Belly, the most famous gourmet jelly bean manufacturer, has the largest variety of flavors, including its BeanBoozled line with shockingly bad flavors like skunk spray. Candy Direct offers gourmet jelly beans wholesale in assorted or single flavors. Jelly bean wholesalers like Bulk Foods sell large quantities of single flavor and assorted gourmet jelly beans.

Find sugar-free jelly beans

For diabetics and those looking to reduce their sugar intake, there are sugar-free jelly beans. With sugar substitutes, sugar-free jelly beans have all the flavor and fun of other jelly beans.

I recommend: Russell Stover offers assorted sugar-free jelly beans. The Vermont Country Store has jelly beans with traditional jelly bean flavor and no sugar. Brookside Chocolate Company sells sugar-free, Jelly Belly, gourmet jelly beans by the pound for those needing larger quantities of sugar-free jelly beans.

You really can’t go wrong with jelly beans—they are always guaranteed to please. While jelly beans have been around for decades, in recent years a surprising number of new variations have emerged. Buying jelly beans used to be as easy as picking out a flavor. Now, whether you are using jelly beans as a retail product offering, a holiday gift or a promotional item, you can custom match your jelly bean selection to the lifestyles of those that will be enjoying this sweet treat.

Here are some of your many jelly bean options:

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Sport

Sport jelly beans are fortified with carbohydrates, electrolytes and vitamins. They are used as an on-the-go snack when bicycling, running, or participating in other kinds of physical activities. These jelly beans contain a combination of sucrose, fructose and glucose that is similar to the blend found in popular sports drinks.

I recommend: Learn more about sport jelly beans at Jelly Belly's Sport Beans site.

Organic

Organic jelly beans are made with organic ingredients. Typically, they contain ingredients such as organic sunflower oil, organic tapioca syrup, and organic white grape juice concentrate. Most have no artificial colors or sweeteners, no gluten and no corn syrup.

I recommend: You can purchase organic jelly beans at MotherNature.com.

Promotional

Jelly beans make a fun promotional gift. Your company's name or logo can be imprinted on jelly beans. You can also choose packaging that suits your purpose, such as tins, little wooden barrels, or mechanical dispensers.

I recommend: You can get free samples of several types of customized jelly beans at the ePromos website.

Real fruit

Real fruit jelly beans actually contain fruit. They are made from fruit puree or fruit juice concentrate. Flavors--which include non-fruity options such as chocolate and coconut--are strong but not overly sweet.

I recommend: You can purchase real fruit jelly beans online at the Woodstock Farmers' Market website.

Kosher

Kosher jelly beans are certified kosher pareve. This means that they conform to Jewish dietary laws. The best known kosher jelly beans are Jelly Belly individual flavor jelly beans.

I recommend: You can find kosher jelly beans at NaturalCandyStore.com.

Vegan

Vegan jelly beans are made with ingredients that do not come from animals. For example, unlike most other jelly beans, they contain no beeswax or gelatin. Their taste and appearance comes from vegan natural and artificial colors and flavors.

I recommend: The Pangea Vegan Products website carries vegan jelly beans.