Do You Buy The Same Halloween Candy Every Year?

Michiganders are loyal to a great many things. How many of us immediately put MSU at or near the top of our college basketball brackets every year? We might dislike the weather in the mitten, but we will constantly remind everyone else that our state is the best. Are you as loyal to your brand of candy as you are to most things Michigan?

Are you a loyalist when it comes to Halloween candy?  According to Instacart, that is someone who buys the same candy every year. One in four of us are. 23% of Americans are candy loyalists. Two-thirds of them have been buying the same candy for at least five years, and 40% for over a decade. Depending on what your brand of candy is, that makes you either cool or not.

Michiganders put some form of peanut butter at the top of their candy lists. They are not alone. The best-selling candy last year was Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and Peanut Butter Pumpkins. Those were followed by Peanut M&M's, regular M&M's, Snickers, Hershey bars, Twizzlers, Kit Kats, Twix, Starburst, and Milky Ways.

You might think we love our chocolate and peanut butter, but you would be wrong. In the eastern half of the U.S., it's Peanut Butter Cups. Out west, it's Peanut M&M's. This is a map of the division.

I am a little surprised that Skittles are not higher on the list, but maybe they are not as popular as we thought. Chocolate candy is still the most popular. In fact, most of us will buy some form of it this season.

Over a quarter of  people who give out candy, base their buying on their own preferences more than what trick-or-treaters want. So if you get to a house that likes Candy Corn, you're screwed. They say our tastes change as we get older. Basically, candy you hated as a kid you might love now.

We're just getting started on the candy buying season. Instacart data shows it should start to ramp up this week, and peaks a day or two before Halloween.

Most of us are afraid to try something new when it comes to candy. Not gonna lie, after watching The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, I want to try Turkish Delight. Supposedly, it is irresistible. Although trying new might be the wrong play. Most Michiganders refuse to throw away leftover candy. The majority will keep eating it for up to six months.