BUBS went from TikTok obsession to 35,000 US store shelves in under a year — but knowing where to buy BUBS candy still trips people up: some chains carry it everywhere, some barely stock it, and resellers still charge triple for a $3 bag. We checked every retailer, so here's exactly where to find BUBS online and in stores, what you should pay, and how to avoid the knockoffs.
Disclosure: some links below are affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you — it keeps SwedishCrave free. It never changes which stores we recommend.
Where to Buy BUBS Candy Right Now: The Quick Answer
Two years ago, figuring out where to buy BUBS candy in the US meant hunting down import shops and paying whatever they asked. That era is over. Since BUBS officially launched stateside in August 2025 (backed by its parent company Orkla), the brand has pushed into roughly 35,000 US retail locations — Target, Walmart, Kroger, Walgreens, Five Below, and more. The catch: in-store stock is still hit-or-miss because bags sell out fast, and the US retail bags are a smaller curated lineup, not the full Swedish range.
So here's our honest quick answer:
- Most reliable: order online from a US-based Swedish candy importer — full flavor range, always in stock
- Cheapest per bag: Target, Walmart, or Five Below if your local store has the 5 oz US bags (~$3)
- Full Swedish lineup: importers and the official us.bubs.se store — this is where the viral flavors live
BUBS 101: What You're Actually Buying
New here? BUBS is a Swedish candy brand founded in 1992 by the Lindström family, and it's the single biggest reason Swedish candy went viral in the US. Their skull- and diamond-shaped foam gummies — especially the Sour Skulls — became the face of the TikTok Swedish candy wave that started with a viral BonBon NYC video in January 2024 and never really stopped. If you want the full backstory, our Swedish candy TikTok trend deep-dive covers it.
Three things make BUBS different from the sour candy you grew up with, and they matter when you're deciding where to buy:
- Gelatin-free, and halal-friendly. BUBS uses pectin and a starch-based foam instead of gelatin, so every bag is plant-based. The brand isn't formally halal-certified, but because there's no gelatin or any animal-derived ingredient, it's widely bought by halal and vegan shoppers alike. It's also gluten-free and made without palm oil. One thing BUBS is not: sugar-free — if low sugar is the dietary line you're watching, our sugar free Swedish candy guide covers the brands that are.
- The foam texture is the whole point. That airy, marshmallow-meets-gummy chew doesn't survive heat well — which is why summer shipping matters (more on that below).
- Two product universes. The US retail bags (5 oz, four launch flavors like Sour Tutti Frutti Diamonds and Sour Lemon Raspberry Skulls) are a curated lineup made for American shelves. The full Swedish range — the stuff in the viral videos — comes through importers. Our complete BUBS guide ranks every flavor if you want help choosing.
Where to Buy BUBS Candy Online (Ranked)
Online is still the reliable path. Stores sell out; these don't. Here's how we rank the options after ordering from all of them.
1. Mums Swedish Candy — Best Overall for BUBS
Mums Swedish Candy is our top pick for one simple reason: they stock the actual Swedish BUBS range — the original bags and pick-and-mix imported from Sweden, not just the four US retail flavors. Shipping runs 3–5 business days, bags are consistently fresh, and they ship free over $100. Expect to pay $6–9 for full-size imported bags, which is fair for candy that crossed the Atlantic.
2. Swedish Sweets — Best for Bulk BUBS Orders
Swedish Sweets is where we point people who already know they love BUBS and want a lot of it — say, for a Swedish candy salad party bowl, where the skulls do most of the heavy lifting. Per-item pricing is among the lowest of any US importer, and the bulk options make it the cheapest way to build a proper BUBS stash. Standard shipping is 5–7 days — slower than Mums, but the savings add up on big orders.
3. us.bubs.se — The Official US Store
BUBS runs its own official US site at us.bubs.se, launched alongside the retail rollout. It's the source of truth for the US lineup, occasionally has bundles you won't find elsewhere, and buying direct guarantees authenticity. The trade-off: selection is limited to the official US products, and it sells out during viral spikes just like everyone else. One important note — the official BUBS domains are bubs.se and us.bubs.se. If you land on a similar-sounding domain, close the tab.
4. SwedishCandy.com — Solid Importer Alternative
SwedishCandy.com carries BUBS alongside a wide lösgodis (pick-and-mix) selection. A good option when Mums is out of a specific flavor, and their mix bags are a nice way to try BUBS next to other Swedish brands in one order.
5. Amazon — Convenient, With Real Caveats
Amazon has plenty of BUBS — but almost all of it is third-party sellers, and most listings are repacked mixes: real BUBS candy, bought in bulk and rebagged into 1–2 lb pouches by resellers. That's not counterfeit, but freshness varies, foam candy suffers in warehouse heat, and per-pound pricing ($15–20/lb is typical) is often worse than importers. Prime shipping is the one genuine advantage. If you go this route, stick to listings with recent reviews mentioning freshness — our Amazon Swedish candy guide breaks down which sellers hold up.
BUBS Candy in Stores: Which US Chains Actually Carry It
Now the question everyone Googles: which chains actually have BUBS candy in stores? The August 2025 launch put BUBS into national retail, and by spring 2026 the brand reported roughly 35,000 US locations. Here's the chain-by-chain reality, based on retailer product pages, the official launch announcements, and press coverage — not guesswork.
| Retailer | Availability | Typical Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Target | Confirmed — nationwide | $2.99–$3.99 / 5 oz | Dedicated BUBS brand section on target.com; pickup and same-day delivery; candy aisle, sells out on weekends |
| Walmart | Confirmed — nationwide | $2.99–$4.98 | Part of the official launch; exclusive sweet & sour mix pack added in 2026 |
| Five Below | Confirmed — nationwide | ~$3.00 flat | Best price-per-bag in physical retail; listed on fivebelow.com; teen-heavy stores restock often |
| Kroger (+ banners) | Confirmed — most regions | $2.99–$3.99 | Includes Kroger-family banners; placement varies by store (candy aisle vs. checkout) |
| Albertsons / Safeway / Jewel | Confirmed — regional | $2.99–$4.49 | Named in the launch rollout; coverage depends on your region's banner |
| Walgreens | Confirmed — spotty by store | $3.49–$4.99 | Part of the national launch, but drugstore candy sets vary a lot store to store |
| CVS | Included in launch — spotty | $3.49–$4.99 | Named in the official launch; shopper reports are less consistent than Walgreens — call ahead |
| Costco | Rotational — select regions | Bulk multi-pack pricing | Bulk packs reported in 2026; treasure-hunt item, not a permanent SKU |
| World Market | Confirmed — specialty pricing | $4–6 / bag | Announced BUBS in its import candy section; pricier, but often has stock when groceries don't |
| TikTok Shop | Available — volatile | Varies wildly | Official BUBS presence plus many resellers; check the seller name before buying |
Searching "bubs candy near me"? Start with Target and Five Below — they have the most consistent shelf presence — and use each retailer's website to check stock at your local store before driving anywhere. For independent Swedish candy shops in your area (which often carry the full imported range), our Swedish candy stores near me tool maps them by state.
One expectation-setter: every chain above carries the US retail lineup — four to five flavors in 5 oz bags. If you're hunting a specific viral flavor from TikTok, like the original Sour Skulls mixes, an importer is still your best bet. See how BUBS compares to what's in the regular candy aisle in our BUBS vs Haribo breakdown.
Knockoffs, Repacks, and What a Fair Price for BUBS Looks Like
When BUBS went viral, supply couldn't keep up — the company itself acknowledged a global shortage, and bags started moving on the gray market. That's exactly the environment where markups and lookalikes thrive. Here's how to not get played.
Know the fair price, then refuse to pay more
- US retail 5 oz bag: $2.99–$3.99. This is the anchor price. It's printed reality at Target, Walmart, and Five Below.
- Imported full-size Swedish bag: $6–9 from importers like Mums or Swedish Sweets. Import logistics justify the premium.
- Repacked mix bags (Amazon/TikTok Shop): $15–20 per pound is the going rate. Below $12/lb is a good deal; above $25/lb is a rip-off.
- Red flag: anyone charging $8+ for a single 5 oz US retail bag is a reseller marking up a $3 product. Skip them — restocks are frequent now, and the scarcity that justified panic-buying in 2024 is gone.
Spotting fakes and lookalikes
- Check the ingredient list. Real BUBS never contains gelatin. Skull-shaped gummies listing gelatin are imitations riding the trend.
- Look for the brand, not the shape. "Swedish-style sour skulls" with no BUBS logo are knockoffs — legal ones, but you're not getting the foam texture you saw online.
- On TikTok Shop and Amazon, read the seller name. Official BUBS and established importers are safe; anonymous sellers with stock photos and no review history are where stale and mislabeled candy comes from.
- Buy official-site products from official domains only — bubs.se and us.bubs.se.
Why BUBS Sells Out — and When to Buy
BUBS demand still moves in TikTok waves. One viral taste-test can empty a region's Target shelves in a weekend — the brand's NYC pop-up in fall 2025 generated over 3 billion media impressions, and every spike like that ripples into retail stock for weeks. If your local store is wiped out, it's usually restocked within one to two weeks, which is another reason we tell people not to pay reseller markups.
Seasonality matters too, for an unexpected reason: heat. BUBS foam gummies degrade in hot delivery trucks, so summer online orders carry real melt risk. Our rules:
- June–September: order early in the week so bags don't sit in a distribution center over the weekend, and prefer importers who ship fresh stock quickly over marketplace sellers with unknown warehousing.
- October–May: zero concerns — this is bulk-order season.
- Halloween and Christmas: the skull shape makes BUBS a genuine Halloween hit, and stock tightens in October. Buy in September.
Foam that arrives slightly soft isn't ruined, for what it's worth — a few hours in the fridge (in the sealed bag) mostly restores the texture. Fused-together candy that's been fully melted is a lost cause; document it and request a refund.
Full Swedish range, shipped fresh from US warehouses.
FAQ: Buying BUBS Candy in the US
Is BUBS candy sold at Target?
Yes. Target carries BUBS nationwide as part of the brand's official US retail launch, with a dedicated BUBS section on target.com. Expect the US lineup of 5 oz bags at $2.99–$3.99, available for pickup, same-day delivery, and shipping. Stock moves fast after viral moments, so check your local store's inventory on the Target app before making the trip.
Is BUBS sold in the US, or does it ship from Sweden?
BUBS officially launched in the US in August 2025 and is now sold in roughly 35,000 American retail locations, including Target, Walmart, Kroger, Walgreens, and Five Below, plus its own US web store. You no longer need to ship anything from Sweden. The full Swedish flavor range, however, is broader than the US retail lineup — US-based importers stock those extra flavors domestically with normal 3–7 day shipping.
Why is BUBS candy so expensive?
The US retail bags actually aren't — $2.99–$3.99 at Target, Walmart, or Five Below is comparable to premium American gummy brands. What's expensive is imported Swedish bags ($6–9, justified by freight) and reseller listings on Amazon or TikTok Shop, where repacked mixes run $15–20 per pound with a viral-demand premium baked in. The candy itself also costs more to make than typical US gummies: pectin instead of gelatin, natural colors, and no corn syrup.
Is BUBS halal?
BUBS is halal-friendly but not formally halal-certified. Every BUBS product is made without gelatin or any other animal-derived ingredient — the gummies use pectin and a starch-based foam — which removes the usual haram concern with gummy candy. The lineup is also vegan, gluten-free, and palm oil-free. If certification specifically matters to you, note that the brand relies on its plant-based ingredient list rather than a certificate.
What is the most popular BUBS flavor?
The original Sour Skulls — the raspberry-blueberry foam skulls that started the TikTok craze — remain the flagship and the flavor most people are hunting. In the US retail lineup, Sour Lemon Raspberry Skulls and Sour Tutti Frutti Diamonds are the bestsellers. Our take: start with a skull variety for the classic experience, then branch out using our flavor-by-flavor BUBS ranking.
The Bottom Line
Where to buy BUBS candy in 2026 comes down to what you want. For the cheapest authentic bags today: Target, Walmart, or Five Below at around $3. For the full Swedish range and guaranteed stock: order from Mums Swedish Candy or Swedish Sweets. And whatever you do, don't pay a reseller $10 for a $3 bag — the shortage days are over. For the broader landscape beyond BUBS, our guide to buying Swedish candy online and the verified store directory have you covered. Curious how BUBS stacks up against Sweden's old-guard brands? Start with Malaco vs BUBS.
Founder & Editor
Former Swedish candy & FMCG professional turned US-based founder of SwedishCrave. Built the site to fill the gap he saw when he moved stateside.
