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 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