Although it may seem like Christmas isn’t a huge time for candy but more for baking, it actually entails purchasing hard candies for your coffee table dish, gum drops for the candy dish near the front door, and all of that delicious candy to decorate cookies with! The Christmas candy season is second only to Halloween. Think about all the candy canes that get purchased each year to sit on the tree or hang in a stocking!
Well, the National Confectionary Association sure thinks about it. They’ve estimated that sales for holiday candy will be $1.93 billion this year, which includes the eight weeks leading up to December 25 (because this is when they’ve determined that holiday shopping commences.) Attributing this figure to an improved economy, the NCA’s calculation comes out to a two percent increase over candy sales this time last year. And, since Thanksgiving was a little early this year compared to last, there’s an added day of shopping between Black Friday and Christmas, also tipping the scales somewhat.
Photo: Facebook/Dolle’s Candyland
In the hustle and bustle of finding the perfect gift and plotting the perfect family togetherness time, the National Retail Federation also estimated that the average shopper will spend $110 on candy and food – twice as much as they’ll fork over for decorations. But, let’s cut to the quick: 1.76 billion candy canes are produced each year and an estimated 150 million chocolate Santas are manufactured yearly. That’s a whole lot of candy!
So which Christmas candy do the people from Texas like the most? As it turns out, it varies by state, and CandyStore.com took it upon themselves to survey consumers to determine exactly what holiday sweet treat caught their eye. Major candy manufacturers and distributors were also included in the survey, which led to the development of a handy, interactive candy map.
Photo: Facebook/Newschannel 6 KAUZ
As it turns out, above all else, Texans apparently prefer Pez as their number one Christmas candy. Yes, Pez. The pressed, dry, Austrian candy that fits 12 to a dispenser came out head-and-shoulders above the rest for the Lone Star State. Did you see that coming? Would this have been your response to a holiday candy survey asking for your absolute favorite? Who are these people that answered on our behalf? “You’ve got some ‘splaining to do…” Pez-lovers!
References:
Candystore.com/Christmas Candy Survey
Candystore.com Facebook Video – Infographic
