Valentine's Day by the Numbers
The popularity of candy and flowers can't be beat.
Valentine’s Day is a day for displays of affection, and for years, two popular signs of that affection have been candy and flowers, with chocolate and roses on the top of the list. Some U. S. Census calculations follow. CANDY 1,177 Manufacturing establishments that produced chocolate and cocoa products in 2009, employing 34,252 people. $12.6 billion Total value of shipments in 2009 for firms producing chocolate and cocoa products. Nonchocolate confectionery product manufacturing, meanwhile, was a $7.4 billion industry. 3,386 Number of confectionery and nut stores in the United States in 2009. 24.7 pounds Per capita consumption of candy by Americans in 2010. FLOWERS $375 million The combined wholesale value of domestically produced cut …
