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This graph shows the sales of the leading hard sugar candy brands of the United States in 2024/25. In that year, Hershey was the top ranked hard sugar candy producer in the United States, with about *** million U.S. dollars worth of sales. The total category generated sales amounting to *** billion U.S. dollars in the year ending May 18, 2025. 

Hard sugar candy

Hard sugar candy belongs to the overall candy category and includes a large variety of products which have a significant sweet taste. As the name indicates, the main ingredient is sugar or similarly sweet ingredients such as sugar syrup, corn syrup or sweeteners. 

The sugar mixture is boiled to a defined temperature to eliminate initial moisture, and then additional ingredients such as food colorings and flavors may be added. Afterward, the blend is poured into a tray to cool until the mixture is malleable enough to be formed into the desired shape. 

Hard sugar candy is a popular treat during the holiday season in the U.S. One of the ‘sweetest’ holidays in the United States is Halloween, when children go from door to door trick-or-treating.

In general, the candy business is a highly competitive industry. The retail aisles in the United States carry leading hard candy brands such as Jolly Rancher, Werther’s Original, Tootsie Roll Pops and Life Savers. Jolly Rancher is manufactured by The Hershey Company, based in Hershey, PA. The company is among the top five global confectionery industry leaders.

For candy consumers, the National Confectioners Association provides a guide to moderate candy consumption. Their daily options examples comprise 50 to 100 calories of candy per day. This corresponds to an amount of three to five pieces of hard sugar candy daily.