In the Search to Find the Best Halloween Candy, New Data Reveals Reese’s, MILKY WAY® and M&M’S® Among Favorites  

Halloween is lurking around the corner and in honor of the spooky season, Rite Aid has released surprising findings on consumers’ favorite trick-or-treating novelties and seasonal shopping habits. As a popular destination for Halloween candy and festive décor, Rite Aid explored last season’s sales data* to settle the biggest debates among candy lovers and uncover unexpected insights around how Americans prepare for Halloween night.

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Trick-or-Trivia from Rite Aid (Graphic: Business Wire)

With final touches being made on costumes and households stocking up on seasonal staples, these spooky secrets behind candy cravings come at the perfect time to deliver an extra dose of festive flair.

Candy Champions

Last Halloween season there were over 2.8 million pounds of candy sold at Rite Aid. To put that into perspective, that is the equivalent weight of the Statue of Liberty replicated six times. By examining these extensive candy purchases, Rite Aid has debunked some of the most popular candy debates. First up – chocolate or other sweets? With nearly two-thirds of all Halloween candy sales being a chocolate product, chocolate reigns as the most beloved treat amongst shoppers. Last year, the most popular chocolate candies that filled our carts included:

• M&M’S®
• Reese’s Peanut Butter Pumpkins
• MILKY WAY®

However, other sweets and sours still make their presence known on Halloween night. Among these treats, the fan favorites that satisfied our sweet tooth last year included:

• SKITTLES®
• Tootsie Pops
• HARIBO Trick-or-Treat Gummies

For those wondering about where candy corn falls into the mix, the polarizing tri-colored treat is in fact a top performer with more than 138,000 pounds of it sold around the holiday – laid out from end-to-end that’s enough candy corn to stretch nearly the entire length of the state of California.

A Hurry on Halloween Eve

Although Rite Aid shelves are stocked for weeks with our favorite Halloween candies, shopping patterns from last season revealed a big confession: we are candy procrastinators. According to the timing of Rite Aid candy sales, 45 percent of all bagged candy purchases happened the week leading up to the holiday and for many shoppers a week in advance was still too far out. Whether Halloween crept up or they enjoyed too much from their previously-bought stash, one thing is for sure – the day before Halloween proves to be the most popular day to pick up candy for trick-or-treaters.

It’s Not All About Candy

Beyond scooping up candy, shoppers are getting into the spooky spirit and perusing Rite Aid’s seasonal section for other festive finds. Cart affinity data from last season revealed the top products that shoppers are also grabbing when they are buying their Halloween candy. Candy carts and baskets are also filled with quirky accessories and décor, as shoppers are turning to Rite Aid as their one-stop destination for holiday must-haves. Last year items to share a basket with Halloween candy included everything from candy corn lights, pumpkin carving kits and devil headbands to Halloween crew socks and nail tattoos.

“Halloween is an exciting time of year at Rite Aid and a great opportunity for us to give customers their favorite seasonal finds in a convenient one-stop shop,” said Andre Persaud, Chief Retail Officer at Rite Aid. “This year, we’ve carefully curated our Harvest and Halloween collections to ensure our customers can celebrate and get the most out of their fall festivities.”

Teal Is the New Orange

It’s important to remember that while Halloween is an evening rooted in fun, it can also be stressful for families with food and dietary allergies. That’s why many are turning to teal pumpkins as the universal symbol for allergy-friendly: placing a teal pumpkin on a doorstep is meant to indicate to trick-or-treaters that the home is giving out treats free from major allergens. Rite Aid is committed to raising food allergy awareness and encouraging consumers to pick up a teal pumpkin and other allergy-friendly alternatives to help promote safe trick-or-treating for all. To help make Halloween inclusive for all trick-or-treaters, the Rite Aid website also offers a convenient sorting feature so shoppers can easily identify candies free from allergens.

Fall Is Family Fun Time

Autumn celebrations expand beyond Halloween, which is why Rite Aid launched a virtual “Fall Activities” hub to help consumers embrace their seasonal spirit with a range of tips, ideas and products that the whole family can enjoy. From Harvest décor must-haves to baking and cocktail recipes and fall beauty trends, there is no limit on the seasonal inspiration awaiting consumers within this curated collection. All of Rite Aid’s fall festivities can be explored at www.riteaid.com/fall-season-ideas.

About Rite Aid Corporation

Rite Aid is a full-service pharmacy that improves health outcomes. Rite Aid is defining the modern pharmacy by meeting customer needs with a wide range of vehicles that offer convenience, including retail and delivery pharmacy, as well as services offered through our wholly owned subsidiaries, Elixir, Bartell Drugs and Health Dialog. Elixir, Rite Aid’s pharmacy benefits and services company, consists of accredited mail and specialty pharmacies, prescription discount programs and an industry leading adjudication platform to offer superior member experience and cost savings. Health Dialog provides healthcare coaching and disease management services via live online and phone health services. Regional chain Bartell Drugs has supported the health and wellness needs in the Seattle area for more than 130 years. Rite Aid employs more than 6,300 pharmacists and operates more than 2,300 retail pharmacy locations across 17 states. For more information, visit www.riteaid.com.

*Methodology: Data is approximate and reflects Rite Aid sales of bagged candy units and other items from October 1 – October 31, 2021

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