A local candy store has been preparing chocolate treats all week to provide last minute shoppers with some sweet Easter Sunday deals. Giannios Candy Company in Struthers is hosting its 45th annual everything half off sale Easter Sunday. 

Valley residents started lining up around 5 a.m. Sunday to get some candy at Giannios Candy Company's half off Easter Sale. It's now a family tradition for many locals.

Youngstown resident Denise Webster recalled memories of her and her daughters visiting the store every Easter Sunday for at least 30 years.

"It's just been a tradition for myself and family so here we are every year," Webster said. "My favorite is the chocolate covered pretzels, but today I filled the bag up with stuff for my daughters and my grandchildren."

Owner John Giannios said the candy sale initially happened by accident.

"Back in '78 we weren't open on Easter Sunday, but somebody had called us early in the morning, frantically needing Easter candy. So, we went down and opened up the store and a lot of people saw we were open and started shopping," Giannios said. "We decided since we have a half price sale usually on Monday after Easter why not just have it on Sunday."

At 5 a.m. folks started to line up and grab their Easter favorites. The staff says it's just as much as a tradition for the families coming in as it is for them.

"For the first ten years I could almost tell you who was going to be in the line in the morning. Now some of them coming in, and some of their children they were buying chocolate for, are now coming in for their children, so people make it a tradition," Giannios said.

With everything being made fresh in house, the quality of the chocolate and the sweet deals bring customers out year after year.

The annual sale is running from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.