One Budget Candy Mix Tops Halloween Orders in 7 Southern States
Halloween candy season usually spotlights familiar names like Reese’s, Hershey’s, M&M’s, and Snickers. But DoorDash’s latest Halloween candy report pointed to a less obvious regional standout: Sweet Smiles, a Dollar General candy line.
DoorDash said Sweet Smiles stood out across seven Southern states in its analysis of U.S. orders placed from October 1 through October 31, 2025. The report was published on September 10, 2026, so it does not reflect completed Halloween 2026 shopping.
DoorDash’s state results were also not simply a list of candies with the highest number of orders in each state. The company looked at candies ordered at a higher rate in a particular state than in the rest of the country. That makes Sweet Smiles a regional standout in DoorDash’s data, but not necessarily the top-selling candy by raw order volume in every state where it appeared.
What DoorDash’s Data Actually Measures
DoorDash used its own U.S. ordering data. National rankings were based on candy order volume, while state findings used the relative ordering-rate approach.
A candy can therefore lead nationally by total order volume while another brand stands out within a state because shoppers there ordered it at a higher rate than shoppers elsewhere.
DoorDash did not disclose its sample size or full details about weighting, retailer participation, minimum thresholds, or the exact state-comparison formula. The report is best understood as a platform-specific snapshot, not a complete measure of every Halloween candy purchase across the United States.
Related: 6 Top Halloween Candy Picks for Trick-or-Treaters
Sweet Smiles Is a Brand, Not One Winning Mix
The biggest misunderstanding is the idea that one particular Sweet Smiles candy mix won across seven states. DoorDash did not identify a specific Sweet Smiles bag, package size, SKU, or assortment.
Dollar General lists Sweet Smiles under its DG Brands, and the name covers multiple products, including gummies, hard candies, chocolate-covered nuts, chocolate-covered raisins, and seasonal Halloween treats.
Products such as Hostess Mix Hard Candy or Spooky Candy Treats should not be presented as the confirmed winner. They are examples of Sweet Smiles products, not the specific item tied to DoorDash’s finding.
What Sweet Smiles Products Are Listed?
Dollar General’s website gives shoppers a clearer look at the line. Sweet Smiles Gummi Worms are listed in a 5-ounce package for $1. Sweet Smiles Hostess Mix Hard Candy is listed in a 7-ounce package for $1, though there is no evidence connecting that specific bag to DoorDash’s seven-state result.
For Halloween, Dollar General lists Sweet Smiles Halloween Gummi Fangs and Halloween Gummi Eyeballs in 7-ounce resealable bags for $2 each. Sweet Smiles Spooky Candy Treats are listed at $2 for a 36-count, 6.35-ounce package with individually packaged treats in assorted shapes and flavors.
Those prices were checked on Dollar General’s U.S. website on October 6, 2026, without a store selected. They are not guaranteed local or DoorDash prices.
Where Sweet Smiles Stood Out
DoorDash explicitly said Sweet Smiles stood out across seven Southern states. Its accessible report text specifically names Georgia, Louisiana, and Tennessee.
Additional reporting identifies Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, and South Carolina as the remaining four states. However, the accessible primary DoorDash text did not individually confirm those four.
All seven belong to the U.S. Census Bureau’s South region. DoorDash did not publish a formal regional-classification rule, so Census geography supports calling them Southern without proving that DoorDash used the same definition.
Other Southern States Looked Different
Sweet Smiles did not stand out everywhere in the South. DoorDash identified Airheads in Florida and Texas. North Carolina was associated with Hershey’s Bar, Maryland with Snickers, and Virginia was among the states where Reese’s stood out.
Nationally, Reese’s led DoorDash’s candy order volume, followed by Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bars and M&M’s. Airheads moved from tenth to seventh, while Haribo entered the top 10 and displaced Twix.
Those national rankings used order volume, not the state-level relative-rate measure.
What the $1 and $2 Prices Do Not Tell Us
Several Sweet Smiles products are listed at $1, while selected Halloween products are listed at $2. Those prices offer useful shopping context, but they do not explain why Sweet Smiles appeared so prominently in DoorDash’s Southern state data.
The report does not show that shoppers chose the brand because of price, variety, seasonal designs, nostalgia, inflation, or any other specific motivation.
It also does not prove that the unidentified Sweet Smiles product tied to the state finding was cheaper than competing Halloween candy.
Sweet Smiles Has Appeared Before
Sweet Smiles also appeared in DoorDash’s previous Halloween trends report, published in September 2025 and based on October 2024 ordering data.
That establishes the brand as a returning presence in DoorDash’s Halloween findings, but it does not confirm that the same individual products were involved both years.
What Halloween Shoppers Can Take From This
DoorDash’s report offers an interesting look at regional Halloween candy ordering patterns. Sweet Smiles is notable because the brand appeared across seven Southern states even as major names such as Reese’s, Hershey’s, and M&M’s continued to dominate national order volume.
The key distinction is simple: DoorDash identified a brand, not one winning candy mix, and its state findings measured relative ordering rates rather than raw sales leadership.
Sweet Smiles may be one of the more interesting names to watch on candy shelves this Halloween, but the data does not crown one particular bag as the South’s undisputed Halloween champion.
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