From Halloween through Christmas, you will likely find it hard to keep your hands off a piece of candy or two. The National Retail Federation estimates that about $3.6 billion was spent on candy for Halloween this year. A 2022 National Confectioners Association report shows that more than half of Americans planned on gifting chocolate or candy during the holiday season. That is good news for Wisconsin, which has the eighth-largest candy economy in the United States, according to the website Upgraded Points. They also rank the Green Bay area in the Top 100 metro area for its candy economy when considering the number of businesses and employees there. It is undoubtedly not surprising to Uncle Tom’s Candy owner Ryan Mueller, who says they have only seen their Ellison Bay business grow since they took over last year.

Candy and chocolate remain top stocking stuffers as well, with 83 percent of poll respondents saying they would use the sweet treats for the holiday tradition, far outpacing small toys (63 percent), lip balm (59 percent), and gift cards (54 percent).