The advent of sweet shops came about with the popularisation of confectionary products in the mid-19th century. Mass production meant traditional sweet treats could be made available to all, and though sweets had been sold in different kinds of stores before, there were now enough being produced to dedicate entire establishments to them.
The sweet shop served the local community and stocked an array of products, from boiled sweets to chocolate bars to liquorice. Some shops made their own confectionery on site, using copper pans to boil sugar for candies or making fresh toffee or fudge to sell. Chocolate products also began to become more popular in the later 19th century as British companies began to produce and sell chocolate bars. While companies like Cadbury had been selling cocoa and hot chocolate since the early 1800s, it wasn’t until 1847 that Fry’s made the first chocolate bar. As other confectioners began producing chocolate products, sweet shops began to stock more chocolate alongside their traditional sweets.