October is peak season for candy corn. But the tricolored triangular treat is very divisive. A 2023 survey found that 56% of Americans love candy corn, while 44% hate it. But what’s indisputable is that candy corn has stood the test of time. “It’s always been popular,” says Warren Schimpff of Schimpff’s Confectionery, a candy store in Jeffersonville, Indiana.
Candy corn was invented in the 1880s as a year-round treat. It wasn’t associated with Halloween until the 1950s, when the holiday itself became more candy-focused. Companies later introduced candy corn varieties for other seasons and holidays. Schimpff’s Confectionery used to sell reindeer corn (red, green, and white) for Christmas, Cupid corn (red, pink, and white) for Valentine’s Day, and bunny corn (pastels and white) for Easter.
Schimpff says sometime in the early 2000s, candy corn lost some of its popularity. Fall sales dropped by 15% between 2018 and 2022. He isn’t sure why. His store stopped ordering it outside of fall. Allyson Shenkman at Bulk Candy Store in West Palm Beach, Florida, says candy corn is “an older taste.” She thinks it’s less popular because kids don’t like it as much as their parents and grandparents do. Despite the decline, the white, orange, and yellow candy hits store shelves every October. “People still buy it—especially during Halloween,” Shenkman says. “It’s a classic.”