Before It Was Trendy: Swedish Candy Has Been in Hull Since 2020

Swedish candy just had its big American debut

If Swedish candy has been popping up in your grocery store aisle or your For You page lately, you are not imagining it. A major Swedish confectionery brand recently launched a pick-and-mix program at a national grocery chain, rolling out to several hundred stores across the country this fall. Industry trend reports for 2026 are calling it out by name: Swedish sours are one of this year's breakout "global flavors," the kind of candy that goes viral on social media and shows up on shelves a few months later.

For a lot of shoppers, this is the first time they have seen a proper Swedish pick-and-mix wall outside of a trip to Stockholm. For us, it is a nice bit of validation. We have been doing this in Hull since December 2020.

Hull had it first

Nantasket Sweets By Swedes opened its doors on Nantasket Ave years before Swedish candy had a national marketing push behind it. No trend report told us to import authentic lösviktsgodis, BUBS, and salty licorice. We did it because it is what we grew up eating, and because there was nowhere on the South Shore to buy it.

That difference still matters now that the category has gone mainstream. A packaged line on a grocery shelf is built for volume: a fixed assortment, shipped and stocked like any other product. What we do in Hull is closer to the real thing. Our pick-and-mix wall is restocked by hand, built around the Swedish classics that are hardest to find anywhere else in the US, not a shortlist chosen for a national rollout.

What makes it worth the trip to Hull

Walk in and the first thing you will notice is the wall itself: rows of bins, scoops, and bags, stocked with BUBS candy and the salty licorice (salmiak) that newcomers either fall in love with immediately or need a minute to understand. Build your own bag, as much or as little as you want, the same way you would at a candy shop in Sweden.

Hull is also where Maria hand-makes our small-batch chocolate: sea salt caramels, fudge, and Dubai chocolate, made with real cream, cane sugar, and vanilla bean, no preservatives or shortcuts. The candy wall is the main event. The chocolate is what you did not expect to fall for.

Visit the original store, or shop online

Nantasket Sweets By Swedes is located at 165 Nantasket Ave in Hull, MA, a short walk from Nantasket Beach. [See hours, directions, and what else is nearby on our Hull location page →]

Not in Massachusetts? Everything on the wall ships nationwide, with the same pick-and-mix approach built into every online order.

Frequently asked questions

Is Swedish candy actually trending in the US right now?Yes. A national grocery chain launched a Swedish pick-and-mix program in several hundred stores this fall, and 2026 confectionery trend reports list Swedish sours among the year's top "global flavor" breakouts.

What makes Nantasket Sweets' pick-and-mix different from a grocery store version?Ours is hand-stocked in a dedicated Swedish candy shop, not a fixed assortment on a shelf. We have carried BUBS candy and salty licorice since 2020, years before either was available at a national chain.

Where is the original Nantasket Sweets store located?165 Nantasket Ave, Hull, MA, a short walk from Nantasket Beach. We also have a second location in Beacon Hill, Boston.