Granville Island Licorice Parlour — Local services in Vancouver

Was there two weeks ago. One customer with children. Older lady helping them with candy and weighing it. One younger guy. He did ask me if I needed any help. I asked how it worked. Asked if it was okay to buy just two pieces. He said yes. But then didn’t offer to help me or find out what it was I was wanting two pieces of. The boy then turns his back to me and starts doing stuff with the stock right behind him on the wall.

Another lady was running around the store doing stuff. The irritating thing is she had no issues walking IN FRONT of you over and over to get by to go to the back stock room, while you’re looking at the products along the wall, and never says excuse me and definitely doesn’t offer help, never mind even say hello. In fact. No one. Said hello.

“3” staff. 1 set of customers. Yet. Two free staff manages to make one customer feel like you couldn’t really be bothered. My own manager was teaching me just that day how when there’s customers in the store STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND GIVE CUSTOMERS YOUR UNDIVIDED ATTENTION BECAUSE IF THE CUSTOMER SEES YOU ARE BUSY THEY WON’T NECESSARILY ASK FOR HELP. YOUR FIRST PRIORITY SHOULD BE THE CUSTOMERS. While I understood it in concept… seeing it from the customer’s perspective myself that afternoon it just fully made sense. That boy never offered any help after asking and answering to see if I wanted any more help. And his back was turned to me. I felt like “never mind it’s okay I’ll go elsewhere”.

You didn’t just lose “a sale” you lost “a customer” customer that might never come back.

Please don’t cross in front of a customer over and over to get to the back stock room when customers are browsing. Or least say excuse me. You made it feel like customers are...

This candy store doesn't seem to want to sell candy.

Pros: great selection and beautiful set up. Cons: the service

I took two 11-year old girls in on a very quiet Friday afternoon. We were the only customers in the store. We were served by an older lady (possibly Claudette) who wasn't keen to help us. She seemed quite focused on restocking inventory, despite the store appearing to be fully stocked.

The store had approximately 20 salt water taffy flavours. I told the girls they could choose 10. Customers aren't allowed to open jars and serve themselves, so we needed Claudette's help.

First, she tried to discourage me from buying 10 pieces for each child, citing "That's too much sugar." As the girls were choosing flavours, she kept rushing them along "Next! Come on, hurry up!" After a few selections, she said "You have to take 2 of each flavour you choose." There was no sign indicting such a rule, so I asked "Where does it say that?" Her response: "It doesn't. I can't be standing here opening up jars all day." Again - we were the only customers in the store.

We won't be back and highly recommend filling your candy craving at Snack City (loads of fun candy here too) inside the Public Market or Ricardo's Kandy Korner on Granville...

Wandered in because the store looked cute - from the outside it looks like a cheerful candy store. Unfortunately what you encounter service-wise inside is the opposite of cheerful.

There was only one person serving, they had longer hair and looked like an older person - they seemed somewhere between unenthused and unhappy that they were there. It made the vibe in the store awkward for the people being served and anyone that was waiting. Perhaps they don’t need the business.

Consistent with some of the observations from other recent reviewers: no hand sanitizer in sight and the candy is taken out of jars with a gloved hand - the same hand with glove on also handles the credit card machine and whatever else they need to do, transaction after transaction.

I bought some licorice, but thinking back about how they went to the bag in writing this review- I don’t feel comfortable eating them, they’ll be going in the bin.

The store looks super cute, too bad it’s let down by the staff member that seemed really unhappy and so the awkward mood in the shop - what a downer on a busy Saturday afternoon...