>>>
>>> IT
>>> IT HAS BEEN QUITE A WEEK FOR A MINNESOTA BUSINESS WITH A
SUPER LOYAL CUSTOMER BASE.
THE STORE INTERN HAD THE FUN
WITH THE UNFORTUNATE INTRUSION
POSTING ON@WE ARE OPEN, DRIVE-
THROUGH CLOSED.
THROUGH CLOSED. IT SEEMS LIKE A GOOD TIME TO
REVISIT THE STORY FROM FIVE
YEARS AGO, BELIEVE IT OR NOT IS
THE FIRST TV STORY EVER DONE ON
MINNESOTA'S LARGEST CANDY STORE.
>> Reporter: RETAILERS CALL ON
AD AGENCIES WITH THE GOAL OF
INCREASING THEIR TRAFFIC.
ROBERT WAGNER DRIVES TO THE
HARDWARE STORE FOR MORE PAINT.
>> THERE'S GOT TO BE A MILE OF
IT.>> Reporter: HIS MARKETING
PLAN SUMMED UP IN A WORD,
MARIGOLD.
MARIGOLD.
MARIGOLD. >> YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ENOUGH
YELLOW FENCE.
YELLOW FENCE. IT IS DIFFERENT.>> Reporter:
DIFFERENT IS THE CORNERSTONE OF
MINNESOTA'S LARGEST CANDY
STORE.
STORE.
STORE. >>
STORE. >> WE SAW IT AND WE HAD TO
COME, MY GOODNESS.
>> CHOCOLATE, CHOCOLATE,
CHOCOLATE.
CHOCOLATE. >> Reporter: THAT IS ROBERT'S
FATHER 88-YEAR-OLD HERBERT
NICKNAMED HIPPIE.
NICKNAMED HIPPIE. THESE ARE ROBERTS COUSINS.
>> MADISON HARTMAN.
>> Reporter: SAME NAME, WHICH
IS BOUND TO HAPPEN WHEN EVERY
MEMBER OF YOUR FAMILY, WIFE TO
MOTHER SEEMS TO BE WORKING
HERE.
HERE.
HERE. >>
HERE. >> I AM THIRD-GENERATION.
>> Reporter: BECAUSE DIFFERENT
IS WORKING HERE.
>> THE BUILDING IS A LITTLE
OVER A FOOTBALL FIELD LONG. IT
KIND OF GOT CONVOLUTED.
>> Reporter: ROBERT KEEPS
EXPANDING TO MAKE ROOM FOR
CANDIES OTHER STORES HAVE GIVEN
UP ON.
UP ON.
UP ON. >>
UP ON. >> I DO NOT LIKE TO READ ANY
BUSINESS STUFF.
BUSINESS STUFF. >> Reporter: IS ROBERT DID READ
BUSINESS BOOKS HE MIGHT GET
SOME TIPS FOR HIS CANDY STORE
WEBSITE.
WEBSITE.
WEBSITE. >> WE DON'T HAVE A WEBSITE OR A
PHONE NUMBER.
PHONE NUMBER. >> IF WE HAD A PHONE, A PHONE
NUMBER OUT THERE, WE WOULD BE
ANSWERING THE PHONE ALL THE
TIME.
TIME.
TIME. >>
TIME. >> MY DAD SAYS THAT EVERY DAY,
THIS INTERNET THING IS GOING
OUT.>> FACEBOOK, NEVER BEEN
THERE.
THERE.
THERE. >>
THERE. >> IF WE START READING THE
WALMART BOOK WE ARE GOING TO BE
LIKE WALMART.
LIKE WALMART. >> Reporter: OR APPLE.
>> MY DAD STARTED GROWING
APPLES BEFORE I WAS BORN.
>> Reporter: ROBERT AND HIS
FAMILY DID NOT PLAN TO ADD
CANDY TO THEIR APPLE BUSINESS.
>> THE BIG HAILSTORMS FOR US
WERE 2005, 2006.
>> Reporter: WITH THOSE
HAILSTORMS, TWO YEARS WORTH OF
WORK WAS WIPED OUT.
CALL IT LEMONADE FROM BATTERED
APPLES AS ONE TABLE OF CANDY
PUT UP TO OFFSET HAIL LOSSES
HAS GROWN TO THE REGION'S
LARGEST CANDY STORE, BIGGER
THAN THE ORCHARD EVER WAS AND
ON THEIR WAY.
>> NO CREDIT CARDS, NO SCANNER.
>> ALL THAT COMPUTERIZED [
BLEEP ]. I DON'T THINK THAT'S
EVER GOING TO HAPPEN.
>> Reporter: CAN'T RISK
DROWNING OUT THE POLKA.
>> IT'S SEVEN SONGS ON REPLAY
ALL DAY LONG.
>> Reporter: PUT THAT IN YOUR
HOW TO SUCCEED BUSINESS BOOK.
BUT MAKE SURE TO ADD WARM
SERVICE. HIPPIES FRESH HOT PIES
, WINDOWS WASHED TWICE A DAY,
AND THIS:
AND THIS:
AND THIS: >> A QUOTE FROM PT BARNUM, THE
NOBLEST ART IS MAKING PEOPLE
HAPPY.
HAPPY.
HAPPY. THAT SUMS UP A LOT.
>> Reporter: IF THE MAN WHO
AVOIDS BUSINESS BOOKS EVER
WRITES HIS OWN, HE MAY JUST
TITLE IT THE BEST OFFENSE IS A
GOOD MARIGOLD YELLOW FENCE.
>> THEY HAVE LITERALLY
EVERYTHING HERE.
EVERYTHING HERE. >> SINCE THAT STORY FIRST AIRED
IN 2014, ROBERT'S FATHER HIPPIE
PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 91
AND BUT ROBERTS MOM ALSO IN HER
90s IS STILL AT WORK IN THE
CANDY STORE EVERY SINGLE DAY.
THE CANDY STORE HAS ALSO
UNDERGONE SEVERAL MORE
EXPANSIONS INCLUDING THE 2017
EDITION OF A LARGE YELLOW DOME
THAT NOW DWARFS THE ORIGINAL
BARN AND ROBERT SAYS HE IS NOT
DONE, HE'S ONLY MAKING PLANS
FOR ANOTHER RENOVATION WHICH
WILL BE COMING NEXT YEAR.
I HAVE TO ADMIT, AS MANY TIMES
AS I'VE DRIVEN PAST THERE, I
HAVE NOT YET STOPPED