David Finnerty, who runs Sweet Retreat on English Street, said his shop is the “number one place for sweets in Carlisle.”Sweet Retreat opened in April 2024 and specialises in confectionery from around the world, including freeze-dried sweets, Scottish fudges and toffees, and imported products trending on TikTok. David explained: “A unique selling point is that we do pick a mix by containers, not by weight. It’s not just kids – we have customers of all ages.”But despite building a loyal customer base, trading conditions have been difficult. The front of Sweet Retreat in the city centre. We’ve ploughed everything we have into this, and I want it to be a success.”Sweet Retreat open sign.