5 Absolute Best Grocery Stores To Buy Candy In 2026

There are a few qualities you might look for when choosing a grocery store. Prices are of course a big deal; with the price of groceries going up seemingly every day, you'll want someplace you won't have to donate plasma to afford. There's also the quality of meat and produce, which can be as good as any butcher or farmer's market if you go to the right place. And then there's the candy — maybe not the most important criterion, but one worth considering nonetheless.

There will be your usual candy staples, the kinds you'll find in every convenience store and gas station rest stop across the country: Hershey, Skittles, Swedish Fish, things of that nature. But depending on where you go, you'll find plenty of other options too; some upscale, some cheap, but all delicious. These five grocery store chains will give you everything you need to bribe your kid to behave while you peruse the cheese aisle — as well as the opportunity to indulge yourself.

This trendy yet affordable grocery store staple is justly famous for its selection of store-brand foods, from these Asian-inspired items to these delicious frozen side dishes you should look out for. But any regular at TJ's will tell you that its candy is well worth making a trip for in its own right.

If you're a fiend for chocolate you'll have plenty of options, from its iconic, customer-favorite Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups to its addictive, crunchy Snacky Clusters. If you prefer your candy on the chewy, fruity side, you can indulge in Trader Joe's Scandinavian Swimmers (and its Super Sour cousins) or partake in some Fruity Gummy Candies. And if you'd like to try some strange miscellaneous candy you won't find anywhere else, check out Trader Joe's Hot Fudge Sundae in a Handful! (exclamation point included), which really does approximate the sensation of eating a hot fudge sundae with chocolate-coated almonds.

This German institution (which is technically two different supermarket chains due to a disagreement among the founding brothers over selling cigarettes) brings its steady, unfussy commitment to quality and affordability stateside. It stands to reason that it would have some great candy — Germany is the home of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory's" Augustus Gloop, after all.

In addition to the usual assortment of American candy, Aldi offers a good amount of imported European chocolate which many customers find less sweet and more satisfying than American chocolate (not to mention they're a good deal cheaper than most other imported chocolates). Even the most basic, straight-down-the-middle chocolate bars on offer (sold under the name Choceur) are creamy and delicious. Elsewhere, you'll find chocolate-dipped fruits and nuts to add that extra pop of sweet and salty. And take it from us: One bite of the Moser Roth Sea Salt & Caramel Dark Chocolate and you'll want to risk it all for another.

If you're looking for candy in bulk quantities, Costco undoubtedly has you covered. The biggest wholesale grocery store chain in America (and perhaps the most beloved), Costco is as generous with the amount of candy it sells as it is with the prices of its satisfyingly classic $1.50 hot dogs. But what about specific candies, the kind you may not be able to get anywhere else?

Well, could we interest you in some delicious luxury chocolates imported from Belgium and sold under the Kirkland name? Or maybe the Utah Truffle Milk Chocolate Mint Truffles? Perhaps you'd like to try Sanders Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels — or if you're all about the caramel and not so huge on chocolate, you can have an elevated Werther's Original experience with Béquet Celtic Sea Salt Caramels. (Does it matter that the sea salt is Celtic? We don't know, but it sure can't hurt.)

You've doubtlessly been here before and you may even have some fond feelings for Target. (Or "tarjay," as our moms always called it, which never stopped being funny to them.) As with other grocery stores, you'll find a wide array of candies here, both the usuals and the unusuals.

Consider Joyride, a low-sugar candy sold by the popular Zoomer YouTuber Ryan Trahan, which is currently Target's best-selling candy. Or consider Target's litany of Favorite Day chocolates which come courtesy of the Illinois-based Silvestri Sweets. If you're after a more familiar experience, you can always get a bunch of Nerds Gummy Clusters or perhaps some Albanese gummi bears (a candy which gives Midwesterners serious nostalgia) and munch happily away. You may not even need to go raid the ice cream freezer to get a pint or two of Jeni's beloved ice cream, which is also commonly sold at Target, though you certainly could. If you do, go ahead and pile on some candy for a sundae vibe.

If you're from California, you may know Gelson's as the really nice supermarket your parents would get ingredients from when they wanted to impress at a dinner party, but there's plenty more to this grocery store chain than its quality products (or indeed its prices, which are admittedly not cheap). Gelson's has plenty of sweets, treats, and other goodies for sale; from the commonplace to the obscure.

Word of advice, though: Don't go there if you're just looking for the name-brand stuff you can get elsewhere. All that's different is that it costs more. But if you're looking for some terrific chocolates and gummies, you will walk away quite happy. You can get some of the extra fancy stuff, like Endangered Species or Hu chocolates, or you can pick up some Darren Lea's Australian Soft Licorice. Of course, the fun thing about shopping in California is that, since famed chocolate brand Ghirardelli is in San Francisco, that means it's local. Fun!