With a wide variety of candy brands lining store shelves in recent weeks, New Jerseyans most frequently selected ... Tootsie Pops?
The hard candy lollipop is the state's most popular Halloween candy this year, according to rankings compiled from CandyStore.com. The company has delivered bulk candy nationwide since 2007 and each year publishes data showing the preferred sweets for all 50 states. Bubble Gum Lollipop
M&Ms were the second-most frequently purchased candy in New Jersey this year, followed by Skittles in third. The snacks finished second and fourth, respectively, on CandyStore.com's list of the most popular sweets in the country.
Tootsie Pops, on the other hand, did not even crack the top 10 list for the U.S. Only two other states, Tennessee and Washington, joined New Jersey in preferring the lollipops over all other candy, while it was the second-most popular in Minnesota, Utah and Washington, D.C.
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups were named the U.S.'s most popular candy after topping the list in five states — Florida, Iowa, Kentucky, New Hampshire and Wyoming — and finishing either second or third in eight more. M&Ms are "inching closer" to the top spot based on this year's data, CandyStore.com said, and Hot Tamales jumped Skittles to round out the county's top three.
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New Jersey's most popular Halloween candy, while curious, is nothing compared to Utah's top choice of candy corn. The polarizing treat, which came in second in a separate CandyStore.com ranking of the worst Halloween candies, returned to the top 10 list this year and slotted in at No. 8.
Other unique candies named as the top sweet in only one state include Jolly Ranchers, in Georgia; Lemonheads, in Louisiana; and 3 Musketeers, in Mississippi.
Americans are expected to spend $3.6 billion on Halloween candy this year, according to data from the National Retail Federation. That figure would set a new record for the third year in a row and represent a 16% increase from the $3.1 billion spent last year.
Lollipop Candy Importer Here are the 10 most popular candies in America, according to CandyStore.com: