What is the Top Office Candy in Your City?

Had a great brainstorm? Treat yo'self!

Completed a grueling report? Treat yo'self!

Survived a long meeting? Treat yo'self!

Sometimes we all need a little sugar high to take on the workday, and there’s no shame in that. In fact, it's so popular among the Gen Z and millennial workforce that there’s a name for this trend: Little Treat Culture.

Some big publications, from Fortune to Food & Wine, have their definitions about how little treats are small purchases used to "fend off the general malaise" of everyday life. As the office snack people, we thought we'd come up with one of our own to illustrate how you might see this trend in your workplace.

Little Treat: A candy or sweet that's easy to grab from the pantry when you need a quick pick-me-up. Often enjoyed as an afternoon snack, it’s the perfect little reward for tackling the stresses of the workday.

The numbers don't lie. In our Trends Report, candy and cookies were some of the top-growing categories of the year, with Crafty clients dedicating an average of 11% of their budget to them. So let's not stop there, let's dive deeper into Crafty's data to see which office sweets are preferred at the city level.

The Best Office Candy in the US

We tapped into the Crafty Platform to gather insights from over 300 offices nationwide to discover which sweets and candies employees were treating themselves to. 

• Atlanta: UnReal, Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups
• Austin: Famous Amos, Bite Size Chocolate Chip Cookies 
• Bay Area: UnReal, Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups
• Boston: Orbit Gum, Peppermint
• Charlotte: BROOKSIDE, Dark Chocolate Variety Pack
• Chicago: M&M's, Peanut M&M's 
• Cincinnati: Awake Caffeinated Chocolate, Milk Chocolate Bites
• Dallas: Lindt LINDOR, LINDOR Truffles Assorted 
• Denver: Sour Patch, Kids Original 
• Houston: M&M's, Peanut Butter M&M's 
• Kansas City: Kellogg's, Rice Krispies Treats Original 
• Las Vegas: Kirkland Signature, Funhouse Treats Variety Pack 
• Los Angeles: UnReal, Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups
• Louisville: M&M's, M&Ms Minis 
• Miami: Hershey's, Kit Kat Bar
• New York City: UnReal, Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups
• Orlando: M&M's, Peanut M&M's 
• Philadelphia: Hershey's, Kit Kat Bar
• Phoenix: Awake Caffeinated Chocolate, Dark Chocolate Bites
• Pittsburgh: Hershey's, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups 
• Portland: Justin's, Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
• Raleigh:  Black Forest, Organic Gummy Bears
• Salt Lake City: Awake Caffeinated Chocolate, Caramel Chocolate Bites
• San Diego: Kellogg's, Rice Krispies Treats Original 
• Seattle: Kirkland Signature, All Chocolate Bag
• St. Louis: Dove, Dark Chocolate Promises
• Tampa: M&M's, Peanut M&M's 
• Washington DC:  Orbit Gum, Spearmint

Best Candy for Work in International Cities

We couldn't leave out our international friends! Here are the sweet treats making waves across the international cities we service:

• Dublin: Kelkin, Mini Chocolate Rice Cakes
• London: Rhythm 108, Hazelnut Praline Swiss Dark Chocolate Bar
• Manchester: Candy Kittens, Eton Mess 
• Melbourne: Tony's Chocolonely, Milk Caramel Sea Salt 32%, 1.7oz
• Sydney: Tony's Chocolonely, Milk Caramel Sea Salt 32%, 1.7oz
• Toronto: BROOKSIDE, Dark Chocolate Variety Pack
• Vancouver: M&M's, Peanut M&M's

Top Candy Trends to Watch 

Now that we've unwrapped the top office candy favorites, let’s take a closer look at the key trends shaping Little Treat culture in the workplace.

• Better-for-You Twist on Nostalgic Treats: Brands like UnReal and Justin's are reinventing classic treats like M&Ms and Reese's Peanut Butter Cup with cleaner, better-for-you ingredients while focusing on values such as sustainability.
• Don't Count Out the Classics: While some cities embrace newer brands, plenty still hold on to the timeless classics like M&Ms and Kit Kats. This shows that you can have your cake and eat it too—enjoy healthy options at breakfast and lunch, then treat yourself to a beloved original in the afternoon.
• Caffeination Innovation: We're seeing a notable shift towards caffeinated sweets, and we expect this trend to spread across other snack categories. Employees are looking for that extra boost, whether it’s from a chocolate like Awake or an energizing bar like Verb.

Conclusion

Whether your team is celebrating a small win or simply wants a pick-me-up to get you through a hard task, a Little Treat is that staple of your office pantry that keeps your team happy and motivated all day long. The data across these cities and the top trends can help you better select products for your pantry to keep up with evolving employee preferences. 

So what's the next logistical step from here?