No change in Arkansas’ favorite Halloween candy in 2023

(leekris – stock.adobe.com)

Arkansas residents purchased more candy in the months leading up to Halloween this year, but the state’s most popular spooky sweets remained the same.

For the second year in a row, Butterfinger candy bars took the top spot, according to the annual data announcement from Candy Store.

The company, which delivers and distributes bulk candy orders across the country, uses sales data to determine the most popular candy in each state.

This year’s data shows that over 210,000 pounds of Butterfinger bars were delivered or distributed to Arkansas for Halloween, up from 202,000 in 2022. Jolly Ranchers, which was the favorite in the Natural State two years ago, was second with over 204,000 pounds, an increase of 5,000 pounds from last year. M&M’s was in third pace at over 106,000 pounds, up from 103,000 pounds in 2022.

That’s the same top 3 as last year, but overall quantities in Arkansas increased by about 16,000 pounds.

That jump follows a nationwide increase, according to the National Retail Federation. The association’s most recent survey found that Halloween candy spending would hit $3.6 billion this year, which is a 16% jump over 2022 and a new all-time high.

Other states that favor Butterfinger include Massachusetts, Virginia and Wisconsin.

As for the United States as a whole, Candy Store says Reese’s Cups have again taken the top spot.

Total Halloween spending was estimated at $12.2 billion this year, exceeding last year’s record of $10.6 billion. A record number of people (73%) said they would participate in Halloween-related activities this year, up from 69% in 2022, according to the National Retail Federation.