Best candy place in the region. Not just the famous gummy bears, best in the nation. Just candy no drugs. The chocolates are great in variety and options both dark and milk chocolate. Also they have some great throw back style candy, like candy necklace etc. The samples are free and you will not be disappointed by your next visit. read more

This is the smaller storefront, compared to the bigger location in the other direction. Honestly, this spot felt a bit dull next to the factory. I was hoping for a little more excitement, but it just wasn't there. Still, they had what I needed, and I tried to chat a bit to brighten things up. Not sure if it worked, but I left happy with what I picked out. Will I be back? Probably, since it's right here in my hometown's backyard. read more

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They produce a very high quality product. It doesn't matter how busy it is they are friendly , knowledgeable, and fast. The shop is bright and cute. read more

I love this candy store. you can taste any of the samples of the Albanese candy they have in the bins and decide what you're going to buy. I have taken some pictures i have not taken a full set of pictures. I was disappointed they do not have a chocolate covered puffed rice candy. The selection is huge and they carry a bunch of other companies Candies confections. read more

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Albanese is nostalgic for me and I'm so happy they're still around. I have memories of their gummy bears from as young as five years old and they're still the best (please don't at me, Haribo is amateur league compared to Albanese). Their confection shop is a candy lovers playground. They have gummy bears divided by flavor/color and you can try anything you like! My go to is Swedish fish (red only please) and their pixies are some of the best I've ever tried. Must stop by if you're in Merrillville or the region! read more

Albanese Confectionery Group - All the gummies!!! - Candy Stores Near Me - Merrillville, Indiana

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What a beautiful store front to stock up on all of our favorite local candies! Albanese gummies are the BEST and we had to stop at the "oops" bin to grab some steeply discounted holiday treats for my giant brood of children to share on our long drive home from Illinois. The ladies working the counter were attentive, smiley, helpful, and kind. We tried treats we can't get at our local shop and have only grown to love Albanese even more. Will be back if we have the opportunity. read more

Albanese Confectionery Group - Late night trip stop! Check out their extended hours. - Candy Stores Near Me - Merrillville, Indiana

After buying Albanese products for 30 years I am awarded with a Demand to Cease and Desist from selling the product. What a great way to treat long time loyal customers. After 27 calls to Albanese and multiple emails they did not even respond. I never would have thought that was what the company was like Disapointed read more

I was gifted a small bag of Peach Rings (gummies) and they are delicious! I am not really a Candy Man, with the exception of Belgian Chocolates, but I had to have more gummies. I found a 4.5 lbs bag on Amazon, which was fulfilled by Albanese Confectionery. So so soft and fresh! I signed up for a monthly subscription! read more

I love stopping here. The employees are very helpful and friendly. Store is very clean. I had got the big bag of gummies along with the Cajun kickers. Prices are very reasonable. If you are ever in the Merrillville area definitely stop here. You will not be disappointed especially if you love candy and peanuts. read more

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We had come in here in the summer and they had lots of seconds. Today close to the holidays there is only one flavor blue Rasberry now. And nothing at the Factory store. So I grabbed my two bags of seconds. Then filled up my basket with reg big size gummies (12 flavors) , peach rings and some small butterflies plus gum. So I'm happy and so will my neighbor kids for next yr!! read more

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the true to fruit series of gummy bears are absolutely delicious. great variety in flavors. taste great. read more

Albanese Confectionery Group - Candy Stores Near Me - Merrillville, Indiana

What a selection of gummies and chocolates! Love their Peach Rings and Chocolate covered nuts and raisins. Everything is excellent! Great quality and taste! read more

This is a family favorite! It's fun for all ages. They have a friendly and just happy atmosphere! The candy never disappoints

The assortment of gummies is truly remarkable, and the customer service is generally friendly.

I just wanted to be sure the two ladies working at your Albanese Confectionery shop were recognized for being outstanding today! My son and I were passing through all the way form Michigan and he is just 3 so it was his first chance to get to stop here and he was so excited. When we pulled in we were nicely let known that the computers were down due to a storm last night but the ladies still let us come in so I could show him everything and even so graciously gave him a little sample baggy of his favorite gummies! They did not have to be so sweet, but they were and should be recognized for going above and beyond. I grew up in Indiana and Albanese is a part of just about every holiday and was sent regularly to Iraq when my brother was stationed out there. Thank you again!! read more

Great service, choices. Good candy. Easy to get to. Gummy bears, worms, butterflies, army men

These place was very nostalgic. Red Hots! LemonHeads! Boston Baked Beans plus the best gummy bears in the world. They also have little souvenirs you can purchase. Everyone was very nice. read more

All I wanted was a large bag of ORANGE mini gummies and the rude worker said we don't have orange, it's mango flavored. I said I was confused since the 5 pound bag says orange. I was born in Hawaii and Mango and Orange are not the same. I'm sorry, but we ran out of orange should have been her response. read more

You must stop. Every time we take a drive south we stop at this candy shop. EVERY TIME!!!! The prices are reasonable and the products are amazing. Hint 1- the 6$ giant bags of "mixed up gummies" are fantastic. So what if the gummies are stuck together or deformed my kids actually prefer these because they think they are fun to eat. Hint 2- When you go to the candy areas such as the chocolate- get the attention of on one of the employees and do not lose it- you can sample ANYTHING- if you want to try a turtle you get a whole turtle- or milk ball or whatever. It's awesome. This place is always busy because it's amazing so don't get overwhelmed. Just stick with one person and keep trying samples until you decide what you want. Our favorites- skinny dipped malted milk balls, cashew turtles, chocolate covered pretzels, chocolate covered sea salted toffee, and peanut butter popcorn. Make sure you grab a basket- you're going to need it to fill up!! We were just there a few days ago and purchased a HUGE bag of mostly chocolate goodies with some gummies and it was under 50$. Amazing! They do sell the gummies at Walmart too. If you're lucky you can sometimes see candy being made from the windows. But don't count on it- the tour portion is not always in action and you can't always see action. But it's worth the trip for the candy alone!!! read more

Love their gummies and didn't know they had all kinds of other candy too. Great prices on everything so stock up. I think they gave samples as well which is nice. I would go back and do the candy tour. Yummy gummy read more

Albanese Confectionery Group - Albanese Candy store - Candy Stores Near Me - Merrillville, Indiana

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This Albanese candy and nut outlet is simply fantastic. I've only ever been to their flagship factory store farther east on route 30. They have almost as much stuff here (minus the high end designer chocolates) as the bigger store and service is very attentive and fast. This location is closer to I65 than the factory store. And it's an easy in/out stop light and parking lot. I'm happy to see that Banana Gummy Bears are back after being gone for a couple years. They also now have a strawberry banana flavor that is a creamy while color and has a perfect mix of flavor. My favorite gummy bear flavors are Green Apple, Concord Grape, and Pineapple. At $2.49 a pound you'll likely buy a bunch as I did!! The service here is outstanding. Always a number of employees and all of them have smiles and are willing to let you try anything in the store. I just about had a complete meal after having tried one of every gummy bear flavor. You'll also find a bunch of old time nostalgic candies like Mallow Cups or Clove Gum. They carry everything I've seen at the Cracker Barrel store and then some. I picked up some Banana Turkish Taffy that I haven't seen in years. What memories! They have numbers at the door to help speed things along. Do NOT take a number until you know what you want otherwise the flow can get messed up. read more

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Scene: You're driving on I-65 heading to Chicago. You've spent about two hours in the car and need a happy memory before you're plagued with looong lines of traffic. You pass a billboard on your right. "Albanese? What's Albanese?" Another sign comes into your eye sight. You read: POINT OF INTEREST...ALBANESE NUTS AND CANDIES. "Hm, this could be interesting." You turn off the next exit, make a right, and drive past the hustle and bustle of Merrillville. Then, on your right, you see the sign for Albanese and a building behind it. "That's an awfully big building. I wonder how big their selection is?" You turn into the parking lot, park your car, and walk to the entrance. You hope you'll be able to find something to chew on...perhaps you'll find something for a friend. And then, you open the door. "DAMN." There are sweets EVERYWHERE. In fact, you've never seen so many confections inside four walls. There's gummy butterflies and rings and bears (oh my!) There's chocolates, old time-y candy, and mixes! There's nuts! There's chocolate-covered nuts! There's a chocolate fountain! There's pecan patties! There's chocolatey gift boxes! "Is this a real-life Willy Wonka Factory?!" You grab a bag and fill it to the brim. And another. And another. Pretty soon you realize you've run out of hands, but there's still so much you can buy. You find yourself rationalizing why you need a gummy bear keychain. "I need to remember this sugary piece of heaven forever." When you realize that you literally have no room to hold on to another bag, you know your only option is to check out. "Did I really just spend $75 at Albanese?" Don't worry, it happens to the best of us. At least now you don't have to worry about hanger striking on a jammed up I-94. read more

Easily visible from US 30, the storefront reads simply "Nuts & Candy." The outlet has nearly as much selection as the factory/outlet; there is a pic-a-mix, a sugar-free pic-a-mix, and various types of bulk and old-fashioned candy (Mary Janes, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Slo-Pokes, etc.). Some real bargains if you look. read more

Customers service is awesome!! So much to choose from! This is a must!! Definitely want to go back!

I came here on a whim on the way back from Chicago to Louisville and I do NOT regret it! This place is really off the beaten path and it SO exceeded my expectations. It is a stand alone store located near a small strip mall in Merrillville, IN. The parking lot is small and while we were able to get a spot around 6pm, traffic flow in and out of the store was very steady. This place is definitely popular! My BF and I decided to pay this place a visit because we both love gummies soooo much. As gummy connoisseurs, I can tell you that these gummies were probably the most delicious that I've ever had. They were fresh and bursting with flavor. The flavors that they had were ones that I'd never had before- banana, orange cream, cinnamon, grapefruit, Granny Smith Apple, strawberry banana, etc. They also have $6 GIANT bags of gummy 'goof ups', which are just weirdly shaped or connected gummies. Fine by me! And not only do they have gummies but they also make their own chocolate. Anything that says 'Albanese' was made in their factory. In addition to the fabulous candy, ladies that work in this shop are fantastic! They were patient and more than willing to answer our questions and even let us sample some gummies since we had never been there. I wish this place was closer to me because I would be taking a trip there every weekend! Although I won't be back anytime soon since I am moving cross country, I HIGHLY recommend this place to everyone! Take a visit to the gummy capital. You won't regret it. read more

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Love the outlet. Great staff, wonderful deals and a ton of options. I will definitely be going back.

I feel like a kid in a candy store :). So much to choose from, i find myself walking around in circles. While there I'm the most indecisive person i know. I simply can't make up my mind. If you love gummy's, then youll love this place. Too many varieties to mention. Love this place. read more

I cannot day enough wonderful things about this candy store and that it was worth our 2.5 hour drive. The downside; the candy "tour" was a huge disappointment and let down. Upon driving up I got chills all over. Then walking up to the doors swinging them open having the sweet sugary confectionery aroma fill my nostrils and swore I hear angels singing I knew I was in confection heaven. I must have landed on cotton candy clouds and had visions of sugar dust rainbows because this my friends was what my mouth had been watering for for weeks!! This gigantic sugar laden space is filled floor to ceiling with a huge chocolate fountain and oodles and oodles of sweet tasting Morsels. The tasting bar called my name as I floated on fumes to the counter. Starting at one end I tried gummy bears in all sorts of imagined flavors. Then inched my way toward chocolate concoctions that I wouldn't have imagined purchasing various items when my taste buds told me too. I moved off that conveyor belt of bliss and stepped into a showroom of assorted candies that filled my cart up with each turn. Oldie but goodies glared at me, new treats begged me to try them leaving me with a hefty price tag of $60 but I didn't have buyers remorse I had sugar overload and pure contentment. It was worth it for sure. The candy tour: disappointing to say the least. Walk up one ramp across the store and down another ramp and that my friend is your tour. Very disappointing if you didn't get to see the machines working. Thankfully my shopping experience filled the void. Give yourself plenty of time to shop and a large budget to purchase. Some ppl walked out paying $200 or more from what I heard. Which is a lil extreme but I could see how it can happen. This isn't a store I'd drive to more than once every few years but if I lived close by it would get me into some serious trouble. Go if you're from out of town or even in town. Take the kids. They'll love it too read more

We love Albanese gummies! But I won't go back to this store anytime soon. The employees are super friendly and the candy assortment is fantastic. But they aren't enforcing physical distancing by limiting how many people can be inside at once. It's absolutely impossible to stay 6 feet away from other patrons because everyone is just wandering around at will and there are far too many people inside. Plus, I saw an employee open a bin of unwrapped candy while another patron was standing directly over the bin talking. How many times do you think that happens a day?! There could be an efficient, organized, enforced system inside the store. They could also offer ordering online or by phone as an option for people who aren't comfortable with their set-up (according to the website you can order candy to be shipped to you but you're paying a shipping fee and you can't get less than a pound). I'm just saying there are pretty easy ways to give everyone what they want here. But for me personally, candy is not worth the risk they are putting patrons (not to mention employees) in. And maybe Indiana doesn't require anything more than masks and hand sanitizer at the door, in which case it doesn't seem completely fair to deduct too many stars just because they aren't following my standards of common sense. Hence the three stars and not 1. read more

Cute place to get some sweets. They have a wide selection and friendly staff. The "oops" bin also has a giant bags of gummies for cheap.

Albanese! The absolute best gummy bears EVER. I loved coming to the outlet store and seeing all the options they have! You can do a tour of the factory, although we opted not to do that. There are some windows you can look through to see the factory at work, however. So many gummys being produced! The staff was so friendly and helpful. They let you have samples of items if you ask, which is quite generous. The bulk gummys is a great deal. Clean, sufficient and tasty. Minus one star for the unisex bathroom with one stall. read more

This store has SOME of the same products as the original factory a few miles west of Interstate 65, but this little store front is just an another outlet for the company's products without the grand presentation. In many ways, this is a much saner way than the sometimes jam packed factory to get those custom gummy bear mixes that I crave. As the previous reviewer states, there are plenty of ol skool candies available by bulk, several hard to find brands, some off brand stuff, and plenty of bulk chocolates made by Albanese, and, of course, their wonderful collections of gummy bears. They have prepackaged mixes of all kinds of flavors (regular, tropical, sour, etc.) and they also have gummy army men, gummy worms, gummy fish, and so on. They also have very large bags (a five pound bag for about 10 bux) of mixed flavors. Some of the bulk bear flavors include: Pineapple, peach, watermelon, green apple, and several more exotic flavors in addition to cherry, strawberry, lemon, orange, etc. Unfortunately, it is my sad duty to inform that the banana gummy bear is no more. =-( However, there are more than enough flavors to make up for it! read more

Very friendly with a wide selection of candies from around the world and across the decades. I saw candy I haven't seen in 30+ years. Friendly staff. I bought a massive bag of gummy bear mistakes that tasted amazing and was really inexpensive at $6 for about a 2.5-3 lb bag. read more

The candy is fantastic! Wide selection of items and the prices are much cheaper than candy stores I've been to in the past. The $6 gigantic bag of gummy "mistakes" is a great deal. The only issue is the attitude of the staff, more specifically, Pat!! read more

8/10 Always hit this place up when i visit my family in indiana. I personally dont eat anything from here because i dont eat candies. But my wife loves the stuff and varieties. Having said that its just a store front to an actual candy factory and they are focused on production. So that makes the store end seem lacking. Wonkas chocolate factory this is not. read more

They have the BEST gummy bears!!! They are soft, chewy and full of flavor. I have tried gummy candy from other places but the quality, price, variety and flavors this place offers has everyone beat. If you go after holidays they have tons of leftover candy that's marked way down. I bought a bunch last two times I was here and people at my office loved it. Highly recommended !!! read more

This place is a candy lovers dream! They have chocolates, gummies, nuts, fortune cookies. They sell visually defective candy for about $5 for a 10lb bag. It's worth a visit if you're in the area. read more

Friendly staff. Huge score if you love gummies. Found some fun candy for Easter baskets (zotz, smarties gum, etc). Nice price on nuts and chocolates. Was disappointed w reduced pecan clusters pre-bagged but Carmels in case were excellent. read more

Albanese Confectionery Group - Candy Stores Near Me - Merrillville, Indiana

This is a candy store that sells more than Gummy bears. There are two of them within miles of each other. Unfortunately, we ended up at the smaller store per the clerk. The other store actually makes candy and you can view this while in progress. The inventory is also bigger. We loaded up on Gummy bears of various flavors, taffy, Pop rocks, and chocolates. Prices were at discount cost. Large bags of Gummy "rejects" and even Fortune Cookies were a surprise find. If you are into Gummy bears - this place is for you and has one reviewer noted, it's a great rest stop for those traveling 65 who need a stretch break. Be prepared for it to be busy. read more

On a road trip with my bff and must say we really appreciated the Albanese gummy and candy store being open. Great store, great people and overall great experience. Would definitely recommend. read more