Valentine’s Day is all about showering the ones you love — be it partners, children, parents or friends — with candy, candy and more candy. Americans must really be feeling the love in 2020 because they are projected to spend a record amount on Valentine’s Day, according to the National Retail Federation.
Those recently surveyed said they plan to spend an average of $196.31, up 21% over 2019’s record $161.96 average. That’s an expected total of $27.4 billion. So what can Americas expect to share and receive this year?
Well, where you live might hold the answer. Using sales data from the past 12 years, online bulk candy retailer CandyStore.com put together a list of the most popular Valentine’s Day candy by state.
- Candy necklaces: Alabama is daring enough to combine two favorite Valentine’s Day gifts: jewelry and candy. The southern state is the only one with candy necklaces as the top seller
- Chocolate roses: Wyoming would rather sweeten up its blossoms than its bling. It’s also a state that stands alone, this time for its love of chocolate roses. Talk about edible flowers
- Chocolate hearts: Real-life objects immortalized in chocolate, there sure is a theme here. Next up is the chocolate heart, a smooth, tiny indulgence that is wrapped in foil and looks nothing like its anatomical counterpart. The three states that prefer chocolate hearts for Valentine’s Day are Maine, Rhode Island and Nebraska.
- Hershey’s Kisses: Five states are hoping a dinner at the most romantic restaurant in the state will end with some kisses — of the Hersey’s variety. Arkansas, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Delaware all favor Hershey’s Kisses.
- M&Ms: Seven states won’t apologize for loving this colorful classic. It’s another tried-and-true holiday go-to: M&Ms. New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Iowa, Kansas, Idaho and Arizona all favor these tiny treats.
- Conversation hearts: It’s no holiday food mystery that conversation hearts are popular around Valentine’s Day. What is impressive, though, is that even though the most popular version of the wordy confection wasn’t produced at all by Necco, the original producer, in 2019, different brands of this candy classic stole the hearts of 14 states. Vermont, Virginia, Hawaii, South Carolina, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Oklahoma and Montana prefer to communicate through the colorful cutouts.
- Heart-shaped box of chocolates: And the top candy, reigning the sweetest in 19 states, is a curvy carrier filled with chocolate confections. It’s the heart-shaped box of chocolates, where an eating adventure around the mystery fillings is part of the holiday fun, particularly in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Alaska, North Carolina, Georgia, Ohio, Florida, Michigan, Indiana, Mississippi, Indiana, Minnesota, New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada, Washington and California.
Link:https://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/state-favorite-valentines-day-candy