Located on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Dylan’s Candy Bar has been a New York retail fixture since 2001, providing a distinctly upscale take on selling confectionery and making it fun.

It has emerged recently from a facelift and expansion. The former two-floor emporium has been remodelled by local design company TSC Design Associates and now boasts an additional floor, giving the store a total selling area of 15,000 sq ft.

Among the many features that make this shop unique are the candy-covered staircase, The Spa – an area stocking candy-inspired bath and body products – and the new Apparel space, which carries clothing that picks up on the confectionery theme. There is also a Celebrations Room with ice cream and cocktail bars, which is topped off by a bespoke lollipop chandelier. The rear of this café is characterised by red leather booths bearing the store’s trademark stripes. These can be seen from the floor-to-ceiling window that overlooks the streets below.

Founded by Dylan Lauren – daughter of designer Ralph – the store has been described as Willy Wonka meets mod Japanese and claims to fuse pop culture, art and fashion.

The competition for this kind of retailing in New York City is tough, with M&M World on Times Square seeking to offer shoppers a sweet-toothed retail experience. This is, however, completely different from that outlet – largely as a consequence of its close proximity to Central Park. Allowing for this, it is less likely to be thronged by hordes of bargain-basement tourists.