This Map Shows Top Candy in Each State

Experts say this year could be a sugar rush for consumer spending this Valentine’s Day.

February 11, 2022

Popular Valentine's Day by State

ALEXANDRIA, Va.—Candy is a large part of celebrating Valentine’s Day. A recent study found that Gen Z consumers are the most likely group to say they will increase their candy purchases for this year’s Valentine’s Day, with 32% planning to buy more candy than Valentine’s Day 2021 and 13% planning to buy significantly more.

The National Retail Federation is expecting a near-record-breaking year for consumer spending this Valentine’s Day. The association is forecasting it to be up nearly 10% and reaching $23.9 billion, according to CandyStore.com. The number of people buying candy is expected to be at a new record with 56% of consumers planning to buy candy for Valentine’s Day.

CandyStore.com has compiled an interactive map of which candy is the most popular in each state.

Some of the key takeaways from the data are that conversation hearts are back, making up 10.9% of Valentine’s Day candy sales in 2021 after the new owner, Spangler, introduced new sayings on the hearts. M&M’s are also moving up in popularity—since Mars introduced the Cupid’s Message M&M’s in 2017, CandyStore.com says it’s seen a rise in M&M’s sales for Valentine’s Day. Cupid corn is making a comeback and claimed a new No. 1 state—Nebraska. It’s also up one spot to No. 2 in Michigan after falling to third place the prior year.

Here’s how younger generations are playing a pivotal role in Valentine’s Day spending.

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