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 […]

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.

STATE
TOP CANDY
POUNDS
2ND PLACE
POUNDS
3RD PLACE
POUNDS

TX
Starburst
1952361
Reese’s Cups
1927663
Almond Joy
837525

 

STATE
TOP CANDY
POUNDS
2ND PLACE
POUNDS
3RD PLACE
POUNDS

AL
Candy Corn
55274
Hershey’s Mini Bars
54369
Tootsie Pops
42533

AK
Twix
4678
Blow Pops
4578
Kit Kat
3892

AZ
Snickers
904633
Hershey Kisses
817463
Hot Tamales
527843

AR
Jolly Ranchers
225990
Butterfinger
215897
Hot Tamales
89027

CA
M&M’s
1548990
Salt Water Taffy
1345782
Skittles
1034527

CO
Milky Way
5620
Twix
5478
Hershey Kisses
4087

CT
Almond Joy
2457
Milky Way
1985
M&M’s
1023

DE
Life Savers
20748
Skittles
18072
Candy Corn
10217

FL
Skittles
630938
Snickers
587385
Reese’s Cups
224637

GA
Swedish Fish
130647
Hershey Kisses
109672
Jolly Ranchers
55049

HI
Skittles
267872
Hershey Kisses
264728
Milky Way
139874

ID
Candy Corn
85903
Starburst
60826
Reese’s Cups
39847

IL
Sour Patch Kids
155782
Kit Kat
151786
Reese’s Cups
95627

IN
Hot Tamales
95092
Starburst
78920
Snickers
34589

IA
Reese’s Cups
58974
M&M’s
53982
Butterfinger
25782

KS
Reese’s Cups
231476
M&M’s
230082
Dubble Bubble Gum
159092

KY
Tootsie Pops
67829
3 Musketeers
60273
Reese’s Cups
30865

LA
Lemonheads
102833
Reese’s Cups
89738
Jolly Ranchers
45092

ME
Sour Patch Kids
58290
M&M’s
45938
Starburst
16782

MD
Milky Way
38782
Reese’s Cups
30748
Blow Pops
12093

MA
Sour Patch Kids
75638
Butterfinger
73892
Salt Water Taffy
45982

MI
Candy Corn
146782
Skittles
135982
Starburst
87740

MN
Tootsie Pops
195783
Skittles
194672
Almond Joy
98726

MS
3 Musketeers
109783
Snickers
103993
Butterfinger
57829

MO
Milky Way
42739
Dubble Bubble Gum
34751
Butterfinger
24780

MT
Dubble Bubble Gum
24675
M&M’s
14673
Twix
13784

NE
Sour Patch Kids
106728
Salt Water Taffy
78624
M&M’s
23674

NV
Hershey Kisses
322884
Candy Corn
203746
Skittles
167837

NH
Snickers
63876
Starburst
62468
Salt Water Taffy
25987

NJ
Skittles
159324
Tootsie Pops
157893
M&M’s
110673

NM
Candy Corn
83562
Milky Way
65682
Jolly Ranchers
45721

NY
Sour Patch Kids
200008
Candy Corn
101292
Reese’s Cups
56776

NC
M&Ms
96110
Reese’s Cups
95763
Candy Corn
62308

ND
Hot Tamales
65782
Jolly Ranchers
61829
Candy Corn
51827

OH
Blow Pops
150324
M&M’s
146782
Starburst
105752

OK
Snickers
20938
Dubble Bubble Gum
10283
Butterfinger
8892

OR
Reese’s Cups
90826
M&M’s
67626
Tootsie Pops
42774

PA
M&M’s
290762
Skittles
281847
Hershey’s Mini Bars
150372

RI
Candy Corn
17862
M&M’s
13894
Twix
9003

SC
Candy Corn
114783
Skittles
98782
Hot Tamales
41892

SD
Starburst
24783
Jolly Ranchers
22983
Candy Corn
7827

TN
Tootsie Pops
59837
Salt Water Taffy
34859
Skittles
20938

TX
Starburst
1952361
Reese’s Cups
1927663
Almond Joy
837525

UT
Jolly Ranchers
475221
Reese’s Cups
29823
Tootsie Pops
198564

VT
Milky Way
29837
M&M’s
27811
Skittles
17662

VA
Snickers
26783
Hot Tamales
26178
Candy Corn
18726

WA
Tootsie Pops
223850
Salt Water Taffy
210981
Hershey Kisses
78662

DC
M&M’s
26092
Tootsie Pops
21364
Blow Pops
14763

WV
Blow Pops
43776
Hershey’s Mini Bars
23554
Milky Way
18911

WI
Starburst
116788
Butterfinger
115982
Jolly Ranchers
42998

WY
Reese’s Cups
32889
Salt Water Taffy
26555
Skittles
20812

 

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

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