CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (June 4, 2020) –Sanders Candy announces a new strategy for its retail stores in Michigan to adapt to new forms of consumer demand that have accelerated during the COVID-19 crisis. As part of this strategy and the company’s focus on innovation, Sanders will invest in the stores at the Sanders factory on Hall Road in Clinton Township and in Downtown Rochester. These will become the company’s only retail locations and will feature all the favorite Sanders products. Adjacent to and visible from the Clinton Township store, in Sanders’ manufacturing facility, the company is building an Innovation Center, which will provide customers at the two retail stores the chance to sample new candies and other desserts, as they are developed by Sanders candymakers, before they are offered to retail chains nationwide. The company also plans to resume tours of the Clinton Township manufacturing facility, a longtime favorite local attraction. These stores will re-open on Tuesday June 9th. As part of this direction, Sanders company-owned stores in Grosse Pointe, Livonia (Laurel Park Place), Novi (Twelve Oaks Mall) and St. Clair Shores will not re-open following the lifting of Michigan’s “Stay At Home” order. This will affect 15 full-time employees and 20 part-time employees. The company is working to place as many of these employees as possible into open positions at the two stores that will re-open or at its manufacturing or distribution centers. Stores in Wyandotte and on Mackinac Island, which are owned and operated by licensees, are not affected by these moves and will continue in operation. “Because of the strong demand for Sanders products online, nationally and locally, in recent months, we realized that we have needed to accelerate a new retail strategy,” explained Jen Bauer, Chief Marketing Officer. “With specialty retail closed since March in Michigan, we kept up with high demand via grocery and warehouse retailers and direct to consumer, via our website. We saw the ways consumers most want to enjoy Sanders. Our two-location retail approach will allow Metro Detroiters to help shape the future of the brand, while the company adjusts to the trends that shape our business.” The company also plans to offer home delivery of its products to Metro Detroit customers via online food takeout apps. “Sanders retail locations have been a part of Metro Detroit life for generations. We appreciate the community’s understanding of our new reality and the contributions of the staff who created a positive experience for our customers for many years. We look forward to our Clinton Township and Rochester locations becoming destinations for fans of our brand and those who are looking for new ways to enjoy Sanders,” said Bill Elam, Sanders President. Sanders was founded in 1875 when Fred Sanders Schmidt opened his first Sanders candy shop in Detroit. “The founding of Sanders and subsequent success was built on innovation and keeping up with what customers want. We keep that history in mind as we make decisions about the future of this company and the brand that our customers cherish,” added Bauer.