MOST POPULAR CHOCOLATE CANDY IN AMERICA (courtesy of CNBC)
My favorite is the Kit Kat…how about you?
10. Almond Joy
* Revenue Generated: $60.8 million
* Unit Sales: 62.2 million
Peter Paul Candy Manufacturing, which was established in 1919, didn't invent the Almond Joy bar until 1946. Designed as the nuttier sibling to Mounds, it's made of sweetened coconut, topped with two almonds and covered in dark chocolate. Cadbury purchased Peter Paul in 1978 and Hershey bought the company's U.S. operations in 1988.
9. Milky Way
* Revenue Generated: $70.2 million
* Unit Sales: 84 million
Created in 1923, this chocolate bar was named after the popular malted milk shake, not the Milky Way galaxy. It was designed to capture the taste of the malted drink and is made of chocolate malt-flavored nougat and caramel-covered milk chocolate. Milky Way also has the distinction of being Mars, Incorporated's first candy bar, created in Frank Mars' kitchen. At the time, it sold for just a nickel.
8. Hershey's Cookies N' Creme
* Revenue Generated: $80.4 million
* Unit Sales: 80.1 million
This is the newest candy on our list. Hershey's Cookies 'N' Cream first hit the candy stands in 1994, and was billed as a unique twist on the classic Hershey Chocolate Bar. It's made of white chocolate and promises cookies in every bite.
7. 3 Musketeers
* Revenue Generated: $100.7 million
* Unit Sales: 102.5 million
When it was first introduced in 1932, 3 Musketeers was three pieces and three flavors: vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. The candy bar is now a single piece made of fluffy chocolate-flavored nougat covered with milk chocolate. The 3 Musketeers family recently expanded to include a Mint bar and Truffle Crisp.
6. Twix
* Revenue Generated: $169.9 million
* Unit Sales: 153.4 million
Bringing in just under $170 million in sales, Mars' Twix sits right in the middle of our top ten list. The crunchy cookie, caramel and chocolate bar is a relative newcomer to the American marketplace compared other top sellers. It was introduced in the U.S. in 1979.
5. Kit Kat
* Revenue Generated: $201.8 million
* Unit Sales: 202.5 million
This British creation was launched in 1935 by Rowntree Limited of York and was originally called Chocolate Crisp. It was later renamed Kit Kat, allegedly after the Kit Kat club, an 18th century Whig literacy club in England. Nestle acquired Rowntree in 1988 and now produces Kit Kat for over 70 countries. In the US, however, you'll see a different name on the label. Hershey has been the licensed US manufacturer of the chocolate bar since 1969.
4. Hershey's
* Revenue Generated: $249 million
* Unit Sales: 264.6 million
The oldest candy bar on our list, Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar was developed in 1900 by Milton S. Hershey. Hershey wanted everyone to be able to enjoy the great taste of milk chocolate, which was a privilege only the wealth enjoyed at the time. So he started his chocolate operation right in the heart of the Pennsylvania's dairy county and charged just a nickel for his candy bar. From 1941 to 1945, The Hershey Company produced more than a billion rations bars for troops serving in World War II. These days, Hershey makes more than 373 million of its signature candy bar every year.
3. Snickers
* Revenue Generated: $386.2 million
* Unit Sales: 405.3 million
Mars calls Snickers the world's most popular chocolate bar, although it is third on our list of U.S. chocolate candy sales. Introduced in 1930, the bar was named after one of the Mars family's favorite horses. More than 99 tons of peanuts go into making over 15 million Snickers bars each day, and each bar contains around 16 peanuts.
2. Reese's Peanut Butter Cup
* Revenue Generated: $398.9 million
* Unit Sales: 366.2 million
The inventor of these tasty treats, Harry Burnett Reese, was a former dairy employee of Milton S. Hershey who decided to strike out on his own and make a living in the candy business. Reese began selling his peanut butter cups in five-pound boxes for candy assortments in the 1920s, and the candy soon surged in popularity. In 1963, things came full circle when Hershey bought the company for $23.5 million. Several decades later, the candy is still a hit. The company claims if you were to line up the Reese's sold annually, it would wrap around the earth several times.
1. M&Ms
* Revenue Generated: $406.7 million
* Unit Sales: 417.7 million
The best-selling chocolate treat on our list has been around since 1941 and was designed by Forrest Mars Sr. so consumers could enjoy their chocolate without having it melt in their hands. M&Ms, which was named after its inventors Forrest Mars and R. Bruce Murrie, were served to GIs serving in World War II and went on its first space mission in 1982. M&Ms are red, yellow, blue, orange and green, but it's red that gets top billing — it has been the official "spokescandy" since 1952. There are now eight permanent varieties of M&Ms candies, as well as seasonal offerings.
