Meg Rankin remembers growing up in the small town of Mountain Lakes, where there was only one local market that sold sweets, unless you wanted to venture into a big chain store. It was that problem that led her to open The Candy Shoppe, a boutique confection store on Fourth Street in Hoboken.

"Why would you go to CVS to buy candy?" asked Rankin, now a longtime Hoboken resident. "I just thought, why isn't there somewhere cute and sweet where you could go?"

A little over a year ago, Rankin's dream became a reality when her store opened for business. "I've been really lucky, and business has been good. Candy is pretty recession-proof."

Although she sells traditional sweets like licorice and gummy bears in big glass jars, it's the more unique offerings that make The Candy Shoppe stand out in Hoboken. Where else can you find bacon chocolate bars, caramel flecked with sea salt, or goat cheese caramels?

Rankin makes special orders for customers, too. "One customer came in and said I needed Choco Babies," she said. "He was so adamant, I had to get them!"

She's also stocked a special peach-flavored gummy with a raspberry center, all because a customer had them in Las Vegas and couldn't get enough.

"As long as I can find it, why not?" she said.

Rankin stocks local candies from New York and New Jersey, handcrafted treats from small business confectioners, as well as favorites from around the world.

She mentions Aerobars, Curly Whirly's, licorice from Finland and Germany and authentic British Cadbury Crème Eggs – much different from the American version.

Of course, Valentine's Day was a huge event for Rankin's business. "The Saturday before was my busiest day," she said. She offered fill-your-own candy boxes in a fancier version of a Chinese takeout box.

"For girls who were buying candy for the husbands or boyfriends, I couldn't keep the scotch bars and bacon bars in stock," she said.

Half of Rankin's store is also dedicated to hosting birthday parties for children or events for all ages, which she says has been a very successful venture.

Children's parties are a flat price of $250 for an hour-and-a-half party for 12 children, which includes either making candy sushi, building with candy legos, crafting picture frames with wrapped treats, stringing candy necklaces or decorating cookies. Her price includes the party space, a staff to supervise, activities, a goody bag for the children and clean-up.

"For parents, they can literally walk in the door and have the party, not have to worry about a mess," said Rankin.

The Candy Shoppe has even hosted two bachelorette parties, which are held at night and include grown-up treats, like recipes to make Jolly Rancher-flavored martinis rimmed with Pop Rocks.

Although barely a year old, Rankin plans to expand The Candy Shoppe to take online orders for baskets or boxes of treats. Right now she delivers anywhere in Hoboken, and for a little extra will most likely deliver anywhere else.

"I just want to make it that much easier for people to get something nice," she said.