Instacart’s Kentucky Halloween report: Reese’s is No.1, regional candy quirks and the iconic banana costume
Halloween means candy and costumes and Instacart‘slatest data shows what people in Kentucky and across the country put in their carts throughout October.
Key Takeaways
- Reese’s runs the country. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are the No. 1 candy by ounces sold, and the top seller in 40 of 51 states and Washington, D.C.
- HI-CHEW stands out in Montana. The state buys HI-CHEW at +616% above the national share, the largest candy over-index anywhere in the country.
- Western states buy the most candy. Utah (+67%), Idaho (+50%), and Alaska (+47%) buy the most candy relative to the rest of the country. The Northeast buys the least. No judgment, but also…noted.
- The Pacific Northwest leads among cities. Anchorage, AK (+56%), Eugene, OR (+53%), Tacoma, WA (+51%), Vancouver, WA (+48%), and Spokane, WA (+47%) lead all cities in the country.
- Sour Patch Kids leads in Rhode Island. It’s the only state where Sour Patch Kids beat both Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Peanut M&M’s for the top spot.
- Banana is the top food-related costume. Among adults shopping for food-related costumes, “Banana” was the most popular choice. Bananas were also the No.1 selling item on Instacart.
America’s Candy Leaderboard: Reese’s Takes the Top Spot
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups took the No. 1 spot by ounces of candy sold. The top five were all chocolate: Peanut M&M’s came in second, Hershey’s Milk Chocolate third, M&M’s fourth, and Snickers fifth. Sour Patch Kids was the first non-chocolate candy on the list, coming in at No. 7.
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups is the Top Candy in Kentucky
State by state, the pattern holds. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are the top seller in 40 of them. Peanut M&M’s lead across much of the Plains and Mountain West and in Hawai’i. Then there’s Rhode Island, the lone sour candy holdout in a sea of chocolate, where Sour Patch Kids took the top spot. Rhode Island is the only state where Sour Patch Kids ranked ahead of both Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Peanut M&M’s.
Now Here’s Where It Gets Interesting
The most popular candy in each state tells one story. The candy each state buys at a much higher rate than the rest of the country reveals another.
Kentucky bought Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups most as a share of items sold compared to the national average…