Easter is almost here, and according to the National Confectioners Association’s (NCA) State of Treating report, 62% of all confectionery sales in 2024 were generated during the big four candy seasons (Valentine’s Day, Easter, Halloween and the winter holidays). In 2024, Easter confectionery sales topped $5.39 billion, up 2.6% from the year before.

“Confectionery products play a unique role in making seasons, special occasions and family traditions sweeter. Whether consumers are celebrating Easter by gifting baskets, hunting for Easter eggs, or treating themselves to jellybeans or a piece of chocolate, the iconic companies in our industry are meeting consumers where they want to be met,” said John Downs, president & CEO of the National Confectioners Association.

To get ready for the holiday, retailers should tap into what consumers are looking for this Easter. According to NCA:

• The most popular Easter candy: With 89% of people who make Easter baskets planning to include chocolate and candy, it’s no surprise that chocolate eggs and bunnies rank as Americans’ top Easter treat. Jellybeans, candy-coated eggs and marshmallow candy are also among the most popular choices.

• Chocolate bunnies with filling or no filling? After biting into their chocolate bunny, 41% of people are hoping for solid chocolate in the middle, while 36% prefer a filling and 23% would be happy with a hollow center.

Overall, chocolate sales accounted for $28.1 billion total candy sales in 2024, non-chocolate candy was $21.7 billion and gum hit $4.4 billion. While a little more than half of confectionery sales were driven by chocolate, non-chocolate candy saw the most year-over-year growth of the three categories in Circana-measured channels at 4.9%, followed by gum and mints (1.9%) and chocolate (0.4%).

At the 2025 NACS State of the Industry Summit in Dallas, the latest operational and performance metrics were released for 2024, as well instore benchmarks for top merchandise categories like candy—at highly innovative and impulse-driven category.

According to NIQ data, there were 183 new candy items launched in 2024 in convenience stores. Chocolate continues to rank as the top subcategory, with bagged and peg candy showing the greatest growth within the category. NACS Convenience Voices research shows that candy customers are more likely to shop c-stores weekly and most (94.6%) will consume their purchase within that day.