I never had an allowance in school so I had to come up with creative ways to get a little bit of cash for the extra field trip or anything I wanted to buy. Most entry-level jobs for high-schoolers are a real pain in the you-know-what. Especially ever since the pandemic, retail workers are putting up with increasingly irate customers. For aspiring entrepreneurs, keep on reading!
I’m here to tell you the best candies that will net you the most profit. This is not just about taste, but also size and margins. For every candy, I’ll give you an estimation of how much money it can bring in per bag sold at schools nationwide.
Things to keep in mind when selling candy at school
Don’t get caught!
This is a tough one because every school has different rules. If you get caught, don’t expect leniency from the administration or your parents. Most importantly, don’t blame us. Hehe.
One important lesson is to not make enemies, especially those that will snitch. It helps to only sell to friends or friends of friends. My backpack was small so I could only carry so much candy to sell anyways.
This means I had to make a choice on what to sell as I was limited on what and how much candy to bring.
My personal go-to candies were Airheads and Warheads because they are compact. I could fit plenty of them inside my backpack compared to chocolate bars or even worse, bags of air (chips).
How much candy can you bring to school?
Candy comes in many sizes and shapes due to its packaging.
Carrying more units of candy will mean more profits (provided you can sell them all). Not only can you serve a greater amount of people, but smaller candies can also bring a higher overall profit, even if you aren’t making as much per sale.
Compact candies
- Chewing gum ($1-$2)
- Airheads ($0.50)
- Warheads ($0.50)
- Fun-sized candies ($0.50-$1)
With these candies, the lowest price is typically around $0.50 and you can carry a lot of them in your backpack. I would recommend carrying Airheads because they are compact, and everybody loves them (I know that some people hate sour candy such as Warheads).
Tip: When selling smaller candies, try to bundle them in dollar amounts. While you do want to carry change, dollar bills are a lot lighter.
You can find these candies online or at a local grocery store.
Be sure to sell candy that people want to buy! There’s no point in selling what nobody wants. Make friends and ask around for popular candies before you start buying up everything on this list.
When to sell candy
Fundraisers? I find that the lowest risk times to sell candy are when other clubs/organizations start fundraising by selling snacks of their own.
Big exam coming up? Everybody is studying hard (or should be) and could use a temporary energy boost or treat to continue studying.
Lunchtime? Another good time to push your candy products would definitely be around lunch. See somebody staring at the vending machine? Undercut that vending machine and offer them some Airheads! After eating bland school food, a sweet treat would hit the spot.
I would take the same product that they are selling and offer discounts on purchases of 3 or more pieces of candy. Of course, don’t sell your candy near these clubs or their members. The worst that can happen is administration will punish you, seize your candy goods, and possibly take your hard-earned money.
Things to keep in mind when pricing your candy
- Ease of transaction
- Competition
- Demand
Once you start selling candy, people will eventually notice. Whether they see you selling candy directly or just noticing a general increase in the number of people eating candy at school. Some other people may want a slice of the pie, and nothing is wrong with that! Just be ready for that!
If you are selling a candy that is known for its novelty (such as Warheads or other extremely sour candies), sales will eventually drop. I mean, have you ever eaten Warheads constantly? I still remember my tongue screaming after I’ve eaten one too many Warhead.
Top 5 Popular Candies to Sell at School
The more popular the candy, the higher demand there is for it.
If you sell a bag of Skittles to 10 kids in one day at school for $2 each and make out with twenty dollars (before profit), that’s not too bad!
1. Chocolate
Snickers, Hershey’s, and other popular chocolate bars are quick sellers at school. They’re small, filling, and taste great. Chocolate bars are one of the most popular candies to sell at schools across America with high margins.
If it is a bit hot outside, bring your chocolates in an insulated lunchbox (Bonus points for using an icepack).
You can make a bit over $1 per chocolate bar sold if you sell them for $2 for a standard-sized bar.
2. Bubble Gum
The second popular candy to sell is bubble gum. While gum sells really fast (in my experience), you might have trouble selling more than 1 pack to a person.
Bubble gum is compact so you can fit many insides of a backpack or lunch box.
There is always a sale on chewing gum in grocery and drug stores.
3. Airheads
While Airheads are the cheapest candy to sell, you can hold a lot more of them compared to chocolate bars or worse, bags of chips.
Airheads come in a variety of flavors so everybody is pleased.
You can sell them for around $0.50 per piece. I hated carrying coins so I only sold bundles of 3 for $1.
You may want to buy Airheads online if you’re going to sell more than a few bars.
4. Warheads
Warheads is a fast and easy seller at a quarter apiece. Sometimes, they would sell too fast and I would get away with selling them for 50 cents each.
A small bag of around 20 Warheads retails for $2-$3 at most convenience stores, so you can sell the individual pieces in large quantities without ripping your customers off. Again, to avoid carrying too many coins, charging 3 per dollar is a convenient price point.
With sour candies like this, it’s important to not let somebody overdo it. Too much acidic candy can make your tongue painful.
5. Skittles
Skittles are especially popular among students because it’s a fun candy to eat and share!
The only downsides of selling Skittles are how loud the rattling of the candy and wrapper is.
Finally, make sure your backpack is big enough to carry all these candies! You don’t want to lose out on potential sales because you ran out of candy.
Final Thoughts
The best candies to sell in school are those that are affordable, tasty, and easy to chew. Some of the best options include Skittles, Starburst, and Airheads. These candies are all affordable and can be bought in bulk, making them a great option to sell.
Try to expand your business only to people you trust; one snitch could end your entire operation and end in disciplinary action! But if you are savvy and smart about it, selling candy at school is a great side-hustle to get a bit of extra cash for that console or school event.
