Prominent chocolatier shifts to capture business in crisis

FORT MYERS — Norman Love Confections, like many other specialty retailers across the region, is adapting to the coronavirus pandemic with some parts creativity and some parts community connections.

One challenge: the company’s core products, handcrafted artisanal chocolates, what co-founder Norman Love calls “affordable luxury,” aren’t front-of-mind for most customers right now. Even with it being something of a comfort food, Love says the retail business is down. He’s had to let go of some employees. “We’ve obviously seen a lot of retailers struggle,” says Love.

One shift is he’s focusing more on ecommerce, which had been a growing segment of the company prior to the crisis. While Valentine’s Day, a big one for Norman Love Confections, came before the pandemic, two other big holidays, Easter and Mother’s Day, are in the thick of it. “We are aggressively doing discounts and free shipping,” with ecommerce,” Love says. “Things we generally don’t do this time of year.”