Map shows top Valentine’s Day candy by state

Nevada’s favorite Valentine’s Day candy is a heart-shaped box of chocolates, according to CandyStore.com.

The website released its updated, interactive map on Monday, with data outlining the top Valentine’s Day candy in each state. According to a release from CandyStore.com, the map was compiled using data from its “online bulk candy store and industry partners” over the last 14 years.

Source: CandyStore.com.

According to the map, Nevada’s top three favorite candies for the holiday this year are the heart-shaped box of chocolates, conversation hearts and chocolate roses.

Last year, national spending on Valentine’s Day was down about 20 percent due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the company’s release, which cited data from the National Retail Federation. This year, the NRF said it expects Americans to spend nearly $24 billion for Valentine’s Day with 53 percent of the country planning to celebrate, up from 52 percent last year.

According to CandyStore.com, Americans typically purchase 58 million pounds of chocolate during the week surrounding Valentine’s Day. The release added that the peak selling period for conversation hearts is only six weeks, but it takes manufacturers 11 months to make enough of the candy to keep up with demand over those six weeks.

Contact Alexis Ford at aford@reviewjournal.com or follow @alexisdford on Twitter.