Sweet & Sour: Here’s why Valentine’s Day candy is so expensive
CNN
With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, stores are relying on procrastinating romantics to make a last-minute dash in stores and online to help clear out the supply of the special occasion candy.
With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, stores are relying on procrastinating romantics to make a last-minute dash in stores and online to help clear out the supply of the special-occasion candy. If you’re among them, don’t be fooled by the smorgasbord of cutely packaged candy adorned with hearts and cupids in all shades of rosy hues. Those sweet treats might leave a bitter taste if you do some math on how much more you’re paying for them. Some special Valentine’s Day editions of popular candies, such as Sour Patch Kids, Jolly Ranchers and Haribo appear to be priced higher than the regular versions of those sugary treats for roughly the same quantity. The price difference caught the attention of Veronica Fletcher, cofounder and publisher of food and cooking website Pantry and Larder. Fletcher, a former data analyst with the supermarket industry, looked at the cost of a few Valentine’s Day-themed candies at retailers this year, such as Walmart, and compared them to regular versions of the same candies (using the price for ounce metric) and noted a hefty premium. For example, she said a Valentine’s Day-themed heart-shaped box of Sour Patch Kids candy (3.45 oz) was listed on Walmart.com for $3.96 ($1.15 oz), while a regular box of the candy (3.5 oz) costs $1.24 ($0.35/oz).