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AS soon as I stepped inside Haribo’s first flagship UK store Kent’s Bluewater I was hit by a waft of its iconic sweets.

Headache inducing bright colours and bags and bags of treats, it was like being in the middle of bag of Haribo sweets.

Like most people, my childhood was spent gobbling packets of Starmix at birthday parties and pretending the jelly rings in the bag were edible wedding bands.

To this day, I am still partial to a bag of Tangfastics, with the fizzy cherries always being the first to go when I indulge in them.

Its Bluewater debut is Haribo’s first store in the UK that is outside of a designer shopping outlet.

The brand, mascoted by a little golden bear, already has 10 locations across factory destinations in the likes of Ashford and Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth.

But by opening a branch in this mainstream shopping centre – that attracts 28million visitors each year – Haribo wants to reach more customers.

My eye was immediately drawn to the massive pic n mix stand in the middle of the shop.

Since the demise of Woolworth’s and Wilko on the high street, it’s been hard to get good pick and mix fix on the high street – and the Haribo shop didn’t disappoint.

I was overjoyed to see Heart Throbs, red and white liquorice, and fizzy cola bottles.

If you have ever tried to load up a bag of sweets at a cinema or market stall at Christmas, you know it’s very easy to fork out a small fortune.

This is largely due to the fact that vendors charge by weight after you have finished packing it.

So I was very pleased to hear that Haribo stores actually charge a set price for a box and let shoppers fill their boots.

It’s a similar concept to the make-your-own Quality Street tin that John Lewis rolls out at Christmas.

Prices at Haribo for a small tub start at £6.50 and for a medium this rises to £8.50.

I am told that shoppers have been known to fit a kilo worth into medium sized tubs, which is impressive.

For £12, punters can fill their own 1kg plastic tub, but again, if you can squeeze more in, you won’t be charged.

RARE FINDS

Haribo sweets are enjoyed across the globe by millions, with flavours and products varying from country to country.

It was fascinating to see a whole wall dedicated to bags of jelly sweets from the brand imported from the likes of Spain, Turkey and France.

Here you find bags of Happy Cherries and other rare finds that are not sold in other UK stores.

New stock from countries comes in every few weeks, so returning shoppers will have a chance to try lots of different variations.

Another unusual feature in the store, is Haribo’s giant 3kg bags of classic childhood sweets, such as yellow belly snakes.

Many will remember these from their childhood as they are often sold in plastic tubs in corner shops.

You can pick up a wholesale 3kg bag for £20 at Haribo Bluewater, which is good value considering they can sell for up to £26 at wholesale suppilers like Paperstone.

Shoppers looking to go on a trip down memory can also pick up 3kg bags of foam fried eggs and gummy bears.

These could be a cost effective and fun way to add a special touch to a wedding or big event if you placed the sweets in a lovely serving bowl or party bag.

BAGGING A BARGAIN

Guests of the store also have a chance to try new ranges Haribo which are launching in supermarkets at a discounted price.

When I visited the store, they were trialling their new Nostalgix range, which is inspired by classic flavours such as rhubarb and custard and pear drops.

Shoppers can pick up a bag of the sweets for £1.10, which is about 15p cheaper than at Morrisons.

Of course, the Haribo store is filled with walls and walls of its best selling products such as Tangfastics and Starmix.

The prices of these sweets are on par with what you would pay if you bought them at a supermarket at around £1.35.

But those looking for tubs and larger packets of sweets definitely have a chance to save.

This is because the store gives you access to wholesale sized products without having to pay a delivery fee or have a membership to one.

And if you are keen to visit a Haribo store, but not living near Bluewater or one of its outlet destinations, fear not.

The brand has told The Sun that readers should keep their eyes peeled for new locations popping up.

This includes a branch in Scotland which will open up later this year.

SHOPPERS are being warned about using a quick online payment option that could see you lose thousands of pounds

This ‘pay by bank’ option is used at online checkouts by popular online retailers such as WHSmith, Funky Pigeon, Just Eat and Ryanair.

It allows customers to pay for online shopping directly from their bank account without the need for a credit or debit card. 

But experts have warned that this payment option offers no protection if things go wrong – and you could be missing out on cashback too.

Most of the major UK banks, such as Natwest, HSBC, Barclays and Lloyds and Santander, are signed up to the scheme.

If you opt to use PbBa at an online checkout, you’ll need to select your bank and then login via biometrics or your password to complete the purchase.

Once in your bank app, you can view your balance before you pay and see it updated immediately afterwards.

Unlike online card transactions, there is no need to enter your long card number, CVV number, card expiry date, home address and contact details. 

Sounds great, right? In theory, this payment option is quick and easy, but paying this way could mean you don’t benefit from vital protection afforded to debit and credit card purchases.

This is because PbBA transactions are registered as bank transfers, not card payments.

Andrew Hagger of Moneycomms said: “Pay by bank app may seem like a quick and handy piece of smart phone tech when you’re shopping but consumers should be aware that these transactions are treated as bank transfers which means you won’t get protection from Section 75 for credit cards or chargeback on debit card payments.”

This lack of protection means that if something goes wrong – like your item never turns up or isn’t what you ordered –  it can be much harder to get your money back. 

Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 applies to purchases costing between £100 and £30,000 and makes the credit card company equally liable with the seller for providing a refund or compensation if something goes wrong. 

Chargebacks offer similar protection for debit card purchases, allowing customers to request refunds through their bank.

The method is cheaper for retailers as they don’t have to pay transaction fees. 

On smaller transactions, such as takeaways, it would only be a small amount of money at risk – but for bigger payments, such as holidays, then it could leave travellers unprotected if something goes wrong. 

Experts also warn that using PbBa could mean missing out on free money.

Money Expert director Liz Hunter says: “If you pay by bank transfer, and don’t use your debit or credit card to make a purchase, then you could be missing out on rewards and cashback that your bank may offer. 

“To receive certain rewards or cashback, providers will need you to pay using your debit card, credit card or Apple or Google Pay.

“As long as the cards connected to your Apple or Google pay are linked with accounts that receive cashback or rewards, then you should still receive cashback or rewards from purchases made with participating retailers.”