Oh My Goodness

When you visit the J.M. Smucker Co. store, you’ll get acquainted with “all things Smucker,” Maranda Burkhart said. And you may walk out with your face on a jelly jar.

“I like to call it an immersive Smucker experience,” said Burkhart, assistant manager, business development for the globally known company that has been a staple of small-town Orrville since 1897.

“Our store is a must stop in the area for a unique shopping experience,” she said. “We showcase the products from our family of brands, including products that you can only get at the store, like Smucker’s mixed fruit jelly that blends apple, grape and cherry flavors. We have a variety of displays that offer something for everyone. Everything that Smucker makes, we have here.”

Most visitors may be familiar with Smucker’s jams and jellies — and apple butter, founder Jerome Monroe Smucker’s initial offering. What they may not realize until they visit the store is that Smucker brands also include JIF peanut butter, Dunkin’ and Folgers coffee, Uncrustables, and pet favorites like Milk-Bone, Meow Mix and Pup-Peroni.

The store also carries kitchen accessories, apparel and custom gift baskets.

The Sweet Pics area gives customers an opportunity to personalize a jar of their favorite Smucker’s product with their own photo and tagline on the label. It makes for unique and creative gift idea, Burkhart said.

“For 126 years, Smucker has made quality products that, over time, have become staples in family pantries across North America,” she said. “While visiting the store, visitors can experience our family-operated company’s rich history.”

Jerome Smucker launched the company by opening a cider mill and selling homemade apple butter and apple cider door to door on a horse-drawn wagon. The first products were said to be cultivat-ed by Johnny Appleseed. The company was incorporated in 1921 and went national in 1941 with the first shipment of fruit spread shipped to Los Angeles.

The iconic tagline, “With a name like Smucker’s, it has to be good,” was launched in 1962. The store’s Hallway of History details Smucker’s journey from 1897 to today.

The J.M. Smucker Co. Store is located at 333 Wadsworth Road (Route 57), about a half mile from the Smucker plant in Orrville. The store is open from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday. You can learn more by visiting JMSmucker.com/smucker-cafe-store.