This blog post about seasonal candy is part of a web development and marketing project for “Confection Extras,” a fictional candy company. You can view my webpage “Confection Extras” here.

How do seasonal candy preferences differ across the country?

The following analysis stems from my research on popular candy in the United States during four key seasons of the year. The data used in the study derives from published reports by candystore.com. Each state provides information of favorite seasonal candies categorized in first, second, and third place preferences voted by consumers. Throughout my analysis, I targeted the first-place picks overall.

Recognizing the importance of analyzing quantitative data, I also delved deeper and examined seasonal candy popularity within various regions of the United States. The majority of the report will focus on the following four regions:

Northeast (New England, Mid-Atlantic)
Midwest (East and West North Central)
West (Pacific, Mountain)
South (East and West South Central, South Atlantic)

Map of United States split into Census regions and divisions. — Source: Florida Atlantic University Libraries

It’s important to note the data presented here was compiled by a single source and may not be entirely indicative of the U.S. population. All seasonal data—with the exception of Valentine’s Day—was last updated in 2023. And while the chart visualizations might appear basic, this project was a valuable exercise in adapting and making the most of limited information to gain additional insights from the original reports.

VALENTINE’S DAY (updated 2024)

The focus in heart-themed candy does not go unnoticed by consumers. Valentine’s candy chosen as top favorites stateside include chocolate hearts and roses. Speaking of hearts, the ever popular heart-shaped boxes of chocolates were voted the overall favorite by 29% of the United States. Regionally, it was also voted number one by the Midwest and the Northeast. The West and South like their hearts too, only in a tinier format: conversation hearts were their favorite candy.

Stepping back to view all top-voted Valentine treats, which also included the lesser known Cupid Corn, the Northeast is the most likely candidate to get in the Valentine’s Day spirit. As you can see in the chart below, 78% of the Northeast’s favorite sweets during the romantic holiday are Valentine-themed, higher than the other regions.

Bar chart with 4 percentages depicting the popularity Valentine themed candy in American regions

EASTER

Common shapes associated with Easter include bunnies and eggs, so naturally the popular candy of early Spring is similarly molded. Top choices included jelly beans and Cadbury Mini Eggs. Cadbury is a major favorite among regions. Between their famous creme eggs and mini eggs, all regions except the Midwest voted Cadbury eggs as their overall favorite (the Midwest opted for standard foil-wrapped chocolate eggs). More egg-related votes also went to Kinder Eggs, Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs, and the famously hunted plastic eggs with candy. The data revealed over 80% of the states voted for Easter-themed candies as their seasonal favorite rather than the always present staples like M&M’s or Skittles. The bar chart visually confirms this preference is consistent across all regions, with the Northeast leading the pack at 92%.

Just as jelly beans were voted overall favorite, candystore.com compiled data on top flavors. Twelve of the states, or 24%, found favor with the uniquely savory notes of buttered popcorn, followed by black licorice (16%), and coffee tied with cherry at 8%. 10 percent of the states went rogue with their choices, casting singular votes for flavors such as chocolate and coconut. This data is further illustrated in the accompanying chart.

Multi-colored stacked bar chart of various jelly bean flavors voted by American states

HALLOWEEN

Variety is the spice of life for candy consumers during the spookiest holiday of the year. M&M’s secured first and second place across the United States, with the classic Candy Corn finishing at third. The south proved the most diverse in top picks. Skittles (18%) led the way, followed by an even playing field of chocolate and sour selections, including sole mentions for Jolly Ranchers and Lemonheads (6% each). The northeast and west gave two votes each to M&M’s and preferred chocolate candy overall. Like the south, the Midwestern states enjoyed fruity candy the most, with Starburst reigning supreme (25%). Please note the pie charts below comprise of candy with only 2 or more votes in the first place category.

To break things down regionally, the area with the highest votes for fruity treats is the Midwest with 67%, whose votes included Hot Tamales, Sour Patch Kids, and Blow Pops. The highest in chocolate popularity rose to 77% in the West. Notably, M&M’s, Hershey’s Mini Bars, and Twix each claimed two votes in the region.

Bar chart of regional Halloween candy preferences in fruity and chocolate categories

WINTER HOLIDAYS

While candy preferences vary throughout the year, winter celebrations bring out the usual sweet favorites and usher in the minty treats. The top list contains seasonal favorites like Chocolate Santas (10%) and Candy Canes (8%), but it’s Peppermint Bark occupying about a quarter of the votes and the top spot with 22% (as shown in the column chart that details all the top winter holiday candy picks). The year-long favorite, Reese’s Cup Minis, secured the second spot nationally.

Column chart listing all first-place holiday candy, voted by all American states

The appearance of minty candies in winter reveals interesting regional trends. The Midwest and Northeast states show a strong preference for those cooler confections, with over half of the Midwest choosing peppermint bark as the best. In contrast, the West Coast has the lowest percentage of mint fans, with only 15% of the votes.

Bar chart depicting the popularity of minty candy during the holiday season as voted by American regions

Conclusion

A regional analysis like this one can inform the development of products, marketing strategies, and inventory management of businesses like Confection Extras to strategically cater to consumer tastes. By understanding the popularity of candy types by region, as displayed through this analysis, distributors and manufacturers can gain valuable direction and insight into what consumers crave during specific seasons. While the data used in this study has limitations, it makes a valuable starting point in the market research process.

References

The following list of holiday data sets from CandyStore.com were used in the creation of this analysis:

Valentine’s Day – https://www.candystore.com/blogs/holidays/valentines-candy-popular-states
Easter – https://www.candystore.com/blogs/holidays/easter-candy-most-popular
Halloween – https://www.candystore.com/blogs/facts-trivia/halloween-candy-map-popular
Winter Holidays – https://www.candystore.com/blogs/holidays/christmas-candy-popular-states

United States Census Regions and Divisions. (n.d.). Florida Atlantic University Libraries. Retrieved February 26, 2024, from https://libguides.fau.edu/primary-sources-america/states-regions.

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Seasonal Candy Popularity in America: A Data Analysis