Halloween may embody all things spooky, scary and supernatural, but that doesn’t stop it from also being one of the sweetest holidays of the year.
We’re talking serious sugar sales. Candy purchases, expectedly, jump sharply in the U.S. in the days surrounding Halloween. In 2021, the week with the most candy sales of all was the week of Oct. 25-31, beating holiday candy sales in December, and Valentine’s Day candy sales from February of this year.
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The cost of candy is up 13% this year, but that’s not stopping U.S. shoppers from spending money on the holiday. According to a RetailMeNot survey, Halloween spending -- including decorations, candy and costumes -- is expected to rise 200% this year compared to 2021, with the average shopper saying they’re spending an average of $108.62.
So, what candy are American shoppers buying up the most as Oct. 31 approaches?
Here are the most popular Halloween candies in the U.S. this year, according to RetailMeNot:
- Reese’s cups
- Kit Kat
- Snickers
- Hershey’s
- M&M’s
- Candy corn
- Skittles
- Starburst
- Twizzlers
The coupon website says 22% of survey respondents chose Reese’s as their favorite Halloween candy. Kit Kats came in second at 15%, and Snickers in third at 14%.
Chocolate candies continue to dominate the charts, but fruity candies still made the list.
For all you candy corn haters out there: 8% of respondents chose the snack as their favorite Halloween candy, coming in sixth place in total. Candy corn lives on!
RetailMeNot says Reese’s and M&M’s were the top two most popular Halloween candies in 2021.
Is your favorite Halloween candy on this list?
Related: Here are the Michigan towns with the most ghost sightings