Valentine's Day is almost here. It's a holiday full of romance, hearts, bouquets of roses, and candy. According to the National Retail Federation, people are projected to spend more on Valentine's candy this year than cards, bouquets, dinner, or jewelry. But which sweet treats are people buying the most this year? CandyStore.com has the answers. They just released its annual map of America's favorite Valentine's Day candies by state. The candy website compiled the information using 16 years' worth of bulk candy data.
The Most Popular Valentine's Day Candy in Florida
Florida's favorite Valentine's Day candy is heart-shaped boxes of chocolate. The state's second top choice is the classic Conversation Hearts. Following behind this sweet treat is its third choice, chocolate roses. If you plan on grabbing a heart-shaped box of chocolates, be sure not to leave them in your backseat. You know, because heat and chocolate don't mix.
America's Favorite Valentine's Day Candy
According to their data, heart-shaped boxes of chocolate take the top spots in 15 states. Following cliché boxes of chocolate are the conversation hearts. Those little chalky hearts ranked in first place in 13 states.
The top-ranked candies are Hershey Kisses in 8 states and Valentine-themed M&M's in 6 states.
Last year, Nebraska and Michigan both had Cupid Corn (candy corn) as their favorite for the love-filled holiday. Interestingly, this year, only Michigan has it listed as its favorite Valentine's Day candy. This could be due to the popularity of vodka infused with candy conversation hearts, as mentioned in the study.
It seems like a pretty easy and simple recipe, too. On TikTok, Viral Cocktails just dumps a couple of boxes of conversation hearts in a bowl, pours a nice-sized amount of vodka over the candy, refrigerates it for 3 to 4 hours, and serves it up.
Breaking Down Chocolate
Many states prefer chocolate hearts and chocolate roses. But in Alabama, candy necklaces have consistently been a favorite.
Sweet Facts
CandyStore.com found that 47 percent of people said they will buy themselves a box of chocolate this year. Its study also revealed that 58 million pounds of chocolate are bought during Valentine’s Day week. The study mentions that about 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate are sold each year leading up to Valentine's Day.
Take a look at the complete study here and find out what other states say are their favorite candies for Valentine's Day.
