Halloween Candy Sales Drop as High Prices Squeeze Shoppers
Halloween candy sales fell 6.7% in the month ending October 17 compared with last year, as rising living costs and candy prices that have climbed 44% over five years leave many Americans buying less or skipping treats.
Americans are pulling back on Halloween candy this year, with sales down 6.7% in the month ending October 17 versus a year earlier, according to market research firm NielsenIQ. A separate NielsenIQ reading showed an 11.7% sales decline in mid-September, wiping out the preseason gains the category had enjoyed for the previous two years.
Chris Costagli, a vice president and food thought leader at NielsenIQ, pointed to broader affordability pressures as the key factor. The average gallon of regular gasoline stood at $4.29 as of last Friday, up nearly 40% from a year ago, and consumers are feeling the squeeze across fuel, housing, clothing and food. Small bags of candy were the only size showing sales growth; large and extra-large bags posted the steepest declines.
Candy itself has become significantly more expensive. Government data show candy and gum prices rose 44% over the five years ending in September, compared with a 22.5% increase for all food eaten at home in the same period. The cost crunch is stark: discount grocer Aldi recently advertised a 135-piece Mars variety pack — including Milky Way, Trix and Snickers — for $19.87, roughly the same price shoppers paid for a 250-piece pack five years ago.
The main driver has been cocoa. Global cocoa prices hit a record $10,710 per metric ton in January 2025, fueled by poor weather in West Africa — which produces 70% of the world's chocolate — and speculative trading. Prices fell back to $3,241 per metric ton in March but have since risen again after the Iran war disrupted fertilizer supplies to Africa, and El Niño is forecast to further hurt production through February.
Despite the slowdown, the National Confectioners Association said consumer enthusiasm remains strong as Halloween enters its peak sales period.
