The Most Popular Candy Bar In The US Probably Won't Come As A Surprise

Snickers could be called the king of candy bars as they offer pretty much everything one could desire in one sweet snack. Each bar mixes the perfectly crunchy texture of whole peanuts (16 per bar to be exact, and that's just one of many facts about Snickers you probably didn't know) with the chewy resistance of sweet caramel and nougat, and all is covered in a thin layer of milk chocolate. Snickers bars simply have what most other candy bars don't, which is more or less everything. So, it's no surprise that, for years now, Snickers has been the most popular candy bar in the United States — and in the world.

This isn't being said hyperbolically, either. We're talking the whole planet Earth is in love with Snickers, and its corporate parent, the Mars company, doesn't seem to be slowing down on its production or profit margins anytime soon. Snickers are a multi-billion dollar product for the candy company. (You read that right: one candy bar, billions with a "b.") While Snickers might be the "perfect" candy bar, it's hard to pinpoint exactly why it's the most popular chocolate bar. But to begin with, there's definitely something to be said for people's love of chocolate and nuts.

You may or may not know that Snickers is creeping up on 100 years of its reign. It was introduced to the public back in 1930 by Mars founder Frank Mars. Named after the family's favorite horse, Snickers quickly became a success — and today, an astonishing 15 million Snickers bars are sent out into the world on the daily. According to a statistical report by Statista released in 2020, Snickers is the most consumed candy in the entire United States and has also been ranked as the most coveted Halloween candy in the country. 

The second most popular candy consumed in the U.S. is Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, so it seems that the popularity of chocolate candy tends to trend in favor of chocolate and peanuts paired in one iteration or another. It's true that chocolate and peanuts are made for each other, but there may be something else at play with regard to the popularity of Snickers, and that thing might be substance.

Mars created its Snickers "You're not you when you're hungry" advertising campaign in 2010, which increased the company's profit of Snickers by about 15% in its first year. Accompanied by funny (and often bizarre) celebrity cameo-laden commercials, Snickers quickly became (and has held steady as) the most popular candy bar for the past decade, with the catchy slogan firmly solidifying Snickers as the answer to your hangry problems.

Candy is considered an impulse buy, which is why you find it at the checkout of most convenience and grocery stores. Companies are relying on you to buy their products on a whim — and oftentimes, the psychology surrounding indulgences can be justified if made with a "healthier" or more "substantial" choice like Snickers. Considering that Snickers is actually delicious, satiating, and weighty, it makes it a no-brainer when pitted against other candy contestants. Other candies may have a year of popularity, but it seems that Snickers is firmly planted at the top of the candy heap.