ALEXANDRIA, Va.—The U.S. can’t get enough Reese’s (The Hershey Company) and M&Ms (Mars Wrigley), according to PennLive. The study, conducted by candy subscription platform Candy Club, found the favorite candy of countries across the globe, and Reese’s and M&Ms tied as America’s favorite candy.
“The U.S. just can’t seem to make up its mind about which classic American chocolate treat it prefers—the hard candy-coated pieces you can eat by the handful or the delicious, creamy peanut butter sandwiched between layers of milk chocolate,” reads the Candy Club study.
“Reese’s and M&M’s are locked in a battle for No. 1 in yearly candy sales, swapping places depending on who you ask,” it continues. “While a survey conducted by grocery delivery service Instacart reported that Peanut M&Ms and M&Ms made the most sales in 2020, other sources report a tie between M&Ms and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.”
Canada also loves Reese’s, but the country also prefers Kit Kat. Both candies tied as Canada’s favorite candy.
Chocolate was the most popular candy across the globe, according to the study. The U.K., Ireland, Australia and India all love Cadbury Dairy Milk, while Mexico and Brazil love all things chocolate with no particular candy. Germany loves Milka bars; France can’t get enough chocolate bars; and South Africa prefers the Cadbury Lunch Bar. China’s favorite candy was Milk Candy, and Japan love’s the British Meiji chocolate.
According to NACS State of the Industry (SOI) data, “candy made up 2.95% of in-store sales and averaged over $79,000 in sales per store in 2020. In fact, sales increased 1.9% over 2019,” Jayme Gough, research manager, NACS, told NACS Magazine. Gough added that 2021 sales are looking sweet. “Monthly sales numbers are quite a bit higher than they were in 2020. And in terms of profitability, candy margins usually hover at or above 50%, which is high.”
Find out how the candy category performed at the NACS State of the Industry Summit, April 12-14, in Chicago. Registration is open for retailers and suppliers. Tim Newcomb, category manager, Newcomb Oil Co., will break down the 2021 candy and snacks data and share his perspectives and insights from the strategies employed at Newcomb Oil dba FiveStar Food Mart.