Prelude: A Monkey, a Banana, and a Mission
On Halloween night in Plano, Texas, our family transformed into a walking fruit bowl. My husband and I dressed as monkeys—tails swishing, ears flopping—and our daughter Anne became the radiant centerpiece: a bright yellow banana. Naturally, she earned the nickname Anne Banana, and it stuck like melted Laffy Taffy.
We weren’t alone. Our trick-or-treating crew included aliens, fairies, ghouls, and other costumed companions. The kids surged ahead in a sugar-fueled stampede, while the adults trailed behind like a slow-moving conga line of caffeine-deprived chaperones. What began as a festive outing quickly evolved into a surprisingly insightful candy market analysis. Because when you’re trailing a banana with a tote bag full of brand-name sugar, you start noticing patterns.
Plano, TX: Where the Candy Is Premium and the Data Is Sweet
Plano, nestled in Collin County, is no ordinary suburb. With a median household income of over $105,000, it outpaces the national average by a wide margin. The area is home to corporate headquarters, tech professionals, and families who take Halloween seriously—like, full-size-candy-bar seriously.
Compared to the broader United States, Plano represents a high-income, high-consumption demographic. This matters because Halloween candy distribution is a form of microeconomic expression. In wealthier neighborhoods, residents are more likely to:
- Purchase premium, brand-name candies in bulk
- Offer a wider variety of treats to appeal to different tastes
- Participate enthusiastically in seasonal traditions, often with themed decorations and curated candy assortments
In short, the homes we visited weren’t just giving out candy—they were broadcasting consumer preferences. And Anne Banana’s haul became our dataset.
The Haul: A Sweet and Sticky Inventory
After a full evening of doorbell diplomacy, Anne Banana returned with a tote bag that could double as a small vending machine. Here’s the breakdown of her collection:
Candy Type Count
- Snickers (mixed sizes) 20
- Reese's mixed packs 16
- Haribo Gold Bears 18
- Twix 13
- Kit Kat (mixed sizes) 10
- M&M fun-size 12
- Dum-Dums 15
- Hershey’s mixed bars 12
- Milky Way (total) 8
- Almond Joy 6
- Whoppers 6
- Airheads 7
- Smarties 7
- Butterfingers 4
- Crunch 4
- Starburst 4
- “3 Musketeers” 4
- Laffy Taffy 2
- Rolo 2
- Kinder Mini 2
- Oreo Boo 2
- Trolli Sour Bites 2
- Mott’s Candy 2
- Heath English Toffee 1
- Tootsie Roll 1
- Sour Patch 1
- Skittles Gummies & Candy 1
- Rice Krispies Treat 1
- Utz Halloween Pretzels 1
- Fun Dip Razz Apple 1
- Sour Cream & Onion Chips 1
- Rollups 2 Fun,
- Tasty Candy (unspecified) 2
- Sweet Treats (unspecified) 4
- Albanese Gummy Bears 1
- Scary Suspicious Candies 12
Chocolate: The Titans of the Treat Economy
Chocolate reigned supreme in Anne’s bag, with Snickers, Reese’s, Twix, Kit Kat, and M&M forming the core of her collection. These brands are the blue-chip stocks of the Halloween market—reliable, beloved, and widely distributed.
- Snickers: With 20 units,
- Snickers was the undisputed heavyweight.
- Reese’s: The peanut butter darling, with unmatched loyalty.
- Twix: The caramel crunch innovator.
- Kit Kat: The break-time classic.
- M&M: Colorful, crunchy, and crowd-pleasing.
And then there were the “3 Musketeers.” Except… there were four. Which is hilarious, because anyone who’s read the book knows that the original trio was always accompanied by a fourth: D’Artagnan. Clearly, the candy market has corrected the historical record. The fourth musketeer has arrived, and he brought nougat.
Banana Confusion and Fieldwork Follies
Midway through our sugar-fueled journey, our party crossed paths with another family whose child was also dressed as a banana. In a moment of maternal panic, I chased the rogue fruit down the sidewalk, convinced Anne Banana had defected from our group. Turns out, it was just another potassium-powered kid. Halloween: the only night where mistaken fruit identity is both hilarious and socially acceptable.
National Trends vs. Plano’s Candy Economy
Nationally, the top Halloween candies include Reese’s, M&M’s, Snickers, and Skittles. Anne’s haul mirrored this closely, with one notable exception: Skittles were nearly absent, replaced by a surge in Haribo Gold Bears and Albanese gummies. This suggests a regional preference for chewy, fruit-flavored imports over domestic rainbow pellets.
What makes our analysis compelling is its authenticity. This wasn’t a survey or a focus group. It was a real-time, real-money, real-choice experiment. The people who bought the candy weren’t trying to impress researchers—they were trying to delight children. That makes this data pure. It’s consumer behavior in its most joyful, unfiltered form.
The Scary Dozen: Suspicious Packages and Candy Caution
Among the treasure trove were 12 candies in suspicious packaging—unbranded, oddly wrapped, or questionably sealed. These were immediately quarantined. In the candy economy, trust is currency, and these treats failed the audit. Even Anne Banana, who once ate a crayon, gave them the side-eye.
Conclusion: The Market Is Bananas (and So Are We) :)
So what did we learn from this sugar-soaked safari?
- Plano’s candy economy is robust, brand-loyal, and chocolate-heavy.
- Mistaken banana identity is a real risk in high-costume-density zones.
- The “3 Musketeers” are actually four, and D’Artagnan deserves his own wrapper.
- Consumer behavior speaks louder than surveys—especially when it’s wrapped in foil and handed out by a skeleton in a lawn chair.
In the end, our Halloween wasn’t just a night of fun. It was a living, laughing, trick-or-treating case study in microeconomics, brand psychology, and the enduring power of peanut butter.
And if anyone asks why we were dressed as monkeys chasing a banana through the streets of Plano, just tell them: It was for science.
Ralitsa Holub
11/01/2025
