Georgia’s sweet on a sour treat when it comes to Halloween.
In its love of Jolly Ranchers, the Peach State stands alone. While our neighbors Alabama and South Carolina thrill to taste the rainbow of fruit flavors a la Skittles, we prefer the glassy shimmer of a JR – right before we pop it into our mouths. The classic is tops here as the favored Halloween candy of 2023, according to Candystore.com. Sorry, Swedish Fish, but you’re so last year.
There’s a burning desire for Hot Tamales in two chilly states – Minnesota and North Dakota – but also in New Mexico. And if there’s anything to advertising, nobody in America is themselves when they’re hungry on Halloween unless they’re living in Idaho, where Snickers satisfies.
According to the National Retail Federation, we’ll spend $108.24 each celebrating Halloween in some fashion. Some or all of that may go towards candy (or a down payment on dental work after Oct. 31). Halloween candy sales are expected to top out around $3.6 billion this year, an increase of 16% over the paltry $3.1 billion Americans laid out on the sweet stuff in 2022.
“About a third of U. S. adults who are celebrating say that they plan to attend or host a party, and then parents are turning out in force to trick-or-treat with their kids, so it really does feel like Halloween is back,” Katherine Cullen, NRF vice president of industry and consumer insights, says.
Meanwhile, back in Candyland, there’s another state daring to defy the allure of Almond Joy, the M&M monopoly and the reign of Reese’s. It’s not just Georgia saying sayonara to the trendy Sour Patch Kids, who stand tall in six states. An old classic rears its orange and yellow conical head, proof that America is indeed the land of second chances.
Pucker up and blow a Hershey’s Kiss goodbye to the haters because in Utah, candy corn is back for an encore.
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