COUNTY LIFE
Top Valentine’s Day candy by state
Source: CandyStore.com.
Valentine’s Day is about love and romance and spending money to demonstrate them. Last year, the National Retail Federation predicted a slight drop off in in Valentine’s Day spending in all but one category. You guessed it: candy.
As Valentine’s indulgences go, candy is a relatively inexpensive one. It’s also become a tradition to give, share and eat candy on Valentine’s Day. That could be why people are expected to spend over $1.8 Billion this year.
Using sales data from the past 11 years from our online bulk candy store and industry partners, CandyStore.com has compiled sales data to determine the most popular Valentine’s Day candy. The map above illustrates the favorite Valentine’s Day candy in each state. The results are pretty interesting.
Conversation hearts have been rising in popularity for years, but they were always stuck behind those heart-shaped boxes of chocolates. That all changed last year when conversation hearts rose above the heart boxes to claim the top spot.
That trend has continued this year, as conversation hearts stretch their lead. That trend will not continue in 2019, however.
Conversation hearts will drop by over 80%. (!) More on that here.
M&M’s moving up
M&M’s cracked more top 3 spots in 2018 than the previous year. Since introducing the Cupid’s Message M&M’s in 2017, we’ve seen a rise in M&M’s sales for Valentine’s Day.
Though M&M’s did not claim any new #1 spots for any states, it did claim 3 more #2 spots and 5 more #3 spots. It’s not easy to crack the top three with conversation hearts and heart-shaped boxes taking up so many spots. Nice work M&M’s.
Perhaps the limited re-introduction of White Cheesecake M&M’s will help boost them even more for the 2019 season.
Cupid Corn Falling Off
Candy corn didn’t do as well. It finished in the #3 spot three fewer times and in the #2 one fewer. Still hanging on in North Carolina, West Virginia and Michigan, among a few other.
This bucks a trend we saw for the Christmas season where candy corn and its seasonal variants saw increased sales.
Valentine’s Day Candy Quick Facts
43% of people said they will buy themselves a box of chocolates this year.
58 million pounds of chocolate are bought during Valentine’s Day week.
The peak selling period for conversation hearts is only 6 weeks long.
It takes manufacturers 11 months to produce enough for those 6 weeks.
Vodka infused with candy remained popular with conversation hearts last year.
Children receive 39 percent of all Valentine’s Day candy and gifts.
Bowie Independent School District Trustees accepted the recommendations for professional educator contracts with a few on hold as they await certification, as well as some staff who have indicated they may retire or resign.
The board met Monday night and Superintendent Blake Enlow said there are a few staff members who have said they plan to leave, but have not “formally” resigned. The board reviewed the list of contract offers in executive session and back in open session approved the list with stipulations for those finishing up certifications.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
The springtime tradition of Cruisin’ Nocona on May 3-4 with lots of family fun activities. This is the 11th annual event.
Enjoy the popular Poker Cruise on May 3 as drivers travel a 120-mile trek through the countryside of Montague County enjoying several stops along the way before looping back to Nocona for lunch.
Early-bird registration is $50. Forms are available at the Nocona Chamber of Commerce office at 304 Clay St. #3 or go online to Nocona.org/events to get a form. After April 25 the cost goes up to $65.
There will be on-site registration from 8:30 to 9:45 a.m. that day at 915 E. U.S. Highway 82, where the cruise starts at 10 a.m. Each driver gets a goodie bag with a Cruisin’ Nocona T-shirt and ticket for the cruise lunch. Additional lunch tickets may be purchased for $20.
First-third place prizes will be awarded to the best poker hands.
On May 4 downtown Nocona will be filled with classic cars and big trucks for Cruisin’ Car Show. This is the second year to include the big trucks set up along Clay and West Walnut Streets.
Prizes will be awarded to the top 10 cars and pickups, top five motorcycles, Big Truck People’s Choice and Big Truck that traveled the farthest to the show. All makes and models welcomed. Forms are available on the chamber’s website.
The car show will have registration from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Clay and W. Walnut with judging from 1-3 p.m. Awards will be presented at 4 p.m. at the H.J. Justin Building, 100 Clay.
The May 8 deadline is almost here for the 2024 Keepsake Graduation section produced by The Bowie News. It is the only section where you will see senior photos of every high school in Montague County and Bellevue.
If you want to honor your graduate with a special ad or your business wants to congratulate a working senior, call 872-2247 or print a copy of the submission form at bowienewsonline.com. The section will publish on May 22.
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