E021 – Data Deep Dive – Halloween Spending and Candy

Just in time for Halloween this year, we take a look at the way people will spend their money on Candy and other goods during this spooky time.

Spending

People in the US are expected to spend $9.1 billion on Halloween this year, according to a study by the National Retail Federation.

Several predictions about this year’s Halloween season include:

  • U.S. consumers are projected to drop $82.93 on average, up almost 12 percent from $74.34 last year.
  • More than 171 million consumers are expected take part in Halloween festivities.
  • Adults ages 18-34 are projected to spend on average $42.39, compared with $31.03 for all adults.

According to the survey, consumers plan to spend:

  • $3.4 billion on costumes (purchased by 69 percent of Halloween shoppers),
  • $2.7 billion on candy (95 percent),
  • another $2.7 billion on decorations (72 percent)
  • and $410 million on greeting cards (37 percent).

Among Halloween celebrants:

  • 71 percent plan to hand out candy,
  • 49 percent will decorate their home or yard,
  • 48 percent will wear costumes,
  • 46 percent will carve a pumpkin,
  • 35 percent will throw or attend a party,
  • 31 percent will take their children trick-or-treating,
  • 23 percent will visit a haunted house and 16 percent will dress pets in costumes.

Top Costumes

More than 3.7 million children plan to dress as their favorite action character or superhero, 2.9 million as Batman characters and another 2.9 million as their favorite princess while 2.2 million will dress as a cat, dog, monkey or other animal.

Proving that Halloween isn’t just for kids, a record number of adults (48 percent) plan to dress in costume this year. More than 5.8 million adults plan to dress like a witch, 3.2 million as their favorite Batman character, 3 million as an animal (cat, dog, cow, etc.), and 2.8 million as a pirate.

Pets won’t be left behind when it comes to dressing up for Halloween. Ten percent of pet lovers will dress their animal in a pumpkin costume, while 7 percent will dress their cat or dog as a hot dog and 4 percent as a dog, lion or pirate.

Candy

CandyStore.com released data from 10 years of bulk candy online sales that show favorite candies by state.

STATETOP CANDYPOUNDS2ND PLACEPOUNDS3RD PLACEPOUNDS
TXStarburst1952361Reese’s Cups1927663Almond Joy837525

 

STATETOP CANDYPOUNDS2ND PLACEPOUNDS3RD PLACEPOUNDS
ALCandy Corn55274Hershey’s Mini Bars54369Tootsie Pops42533
AKTwix4678Blow Pops4578Kit Kat3892
AZSnickers904633Hershey Kisses817463Hot Tamales527843
ARJolly Ranchers225990Butterfinger215897Hot Tamales89027
CAM&M’s1548990Salt Water Taffy1345782Skittles1034527
COMilky Way5620Twix5478Hershey Kisses4087
CTAlmond Joy2457Milky Way1985M&M’s1023
DELife Savers20748Skittles18072Candy Corn10217
FLSkittles630938Snickers587385Reese’s Cups224637
GASwedish Fish130647Hershey Kisses109672Jolly Ranchers55049
HISkittles267872Hershey Kisses264728Milky Way139874
IDCandy Corn85903Starburst60826Reese’s Cups39847
ILSour Patch Kids155782Kit Kat151786Reese’s Cups95627
INHot Tamales95092Starburst78920Snickers34589
IAReese’s Cups58974M&M’s53982Butterfinger25782
KSReese’s Cups231476M&M’s230082Dubble Bubble Gum159092
KYTootsie Pops678293 Musketeers60273Reese’s Cups30865
LALemonheads102833Reese’s Cups89738Jolly Ranchers45092
MESour Patch Kids58290M&M’s45938Starburst16782
MDMilky Way38782Reese’s Cups30748Blow Pops12093
MASour Patch Kids75638Butterfinger73892Salt Water Taffy45982
MICandy Corn146782Skittles135982Starburst87740
MNTootsie Pops195783Skittles194672Almond Joy98726
MS3 Musketeers109783Snickers103993Butterfinger57829
MOMilky Way42739Dubble Bubble Gum34751Butterfinger24780
MTDubble Bubble Gum24675M&M’s14673Twix13784
NESour Patch Kids106728Salt Water Taffy78624M&M’s23674
NVHershey Kisses322884Candy Corn203746Skittles167837
NHSnickers63876Starburst62468Salt Water Taffy25987
NJSkittles159324Tootsie Pops157893M&M’s110673
NMCandy Corn83562Milky Way65682Jolly Ranchers45721
NYSour Patch Kids200008Candy Corn101292Reese’s Cups56776
NCM&Ms96110Reese’s Cups95763Candy Corn62308
NDHot Tamales65782Jolly Ranchers61829Candy Corn51827
OHBlow Pops150324M&M’s146782Starburst105752
OKSnickers20938Dubble Bubble Gum10283Butterfinger8892
ORReese’s Cups90826M&M’s67626Tootsie Pops42774
PAM&M’s290762Skittles281847Hershey’s Mini Bars150372
RICandy Corn17862M&M’s13894Twix9003
SCCandy Corn114783Skittles98782Hot Tamales41892
SDStarburst24783Jolly Ranchers22983Candy Corn7827
TNTootsie Pops59837Salt Water Taffy34859Skittles20938
TXStarburst1952361Reese’s Cups1927663Almond Joy837525
UTJolly Ranchers475221Reese’s Cups29823Tootsie Pops198564
VTMilky Way29837M&M’s27811Skittles17662
VASnickers26783Hot Tamales26178Candy Corn18726
WATootsie Pops223850Salt Water Taffy210981Hershey Kisses78662
DCM&M’s26092Tootsie Pops21364Blow Pops14763
WVBlow Pops43776Hershey’s Mini Bars23554Milky Way18911
WIStarburst116788Butterfinger115982Jolly Ranchers42998
WYReese’s Cups32889Salt Water Taffy26555Skittles20812

 

FiveThirtyEight took a different approach by analyzing data from 269,000 head-to-head matchups between candies. Their findings:

Reese’s took 4 of the top 10 spots!

They boiled it down into the following elements:

Music

In This Creepy, Sleepy Backward Town by Squire Tuck via Free Music Archive

Sources

  1. https://nrf.com/media/press-releases/halloween-spending-reach-record-91-billion
  2. https://www.candystore.com/blog/facts-trivia/halloween-candy-map-popular/
  3. https://www.candyindustry.com/blogs/14-candy-industry-blog/post/87484-halloween-scary-good-for-candy-sales
  4. http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-ultimate-halloween-candy-power-ranking/
  5. http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Squire_Tuck/Happy_Halloween_1583/In_This_Creepy_Sleepy_Backward_Town_1_-_29102016_1146

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