October 1st hits, you are standing in the aisle of your chosen store debating whether you want all chocolate, all non-chocolate, or maybe this year is the year that you get the mixed candy bag. But the mix is never as good, so then you buy two bags of Halloween candy: one chocolate and one non-chocolate. Those sweet two bags are going to contribute to the predicted 4.1 billion dollars of candy sales in 2024. Which was a 3.6 billion dollar increase for 2023.
Only 35% of Halloween sales are generated from candy buying. As a décor girlie, it makes a lot of sense that people would gravitate towards home décor and costumes. Although, the average household spends $30.89 on Halloween candy just in 2024. When looking at the adjustment for inflation the average household only spent $23.11 on Halloween candy, which would match the 2019 levels.
Shrinkflation has been proven to be very real. The growth trends of candy are about 3.5% each year, with the slower inflation around 0.9%. Basically these numbers tell us how candy becomes more expensive, which is how we get from $23.11 to $30.89 in 2024.
To no surprise, Utah leads the nation in candy consumption by buying more than 50% of the national average. Indiana saw a 42.8% increase in candy corn sales over the national average. Hawaii and California had the lowest candy sales in the US. Applying bias and stereotypes, that makes sense to me. The most shocking was Florida was also included in the lowest. The most interesting was Sour Patch kids are a regional favorite in the Northeast and Texas, candy corn was polarized to the Midwest, and peanut M&M’s was the strong runner up for 2nd place.
Chocolate is still the most dominant candy for sale. For my non-chocolate lovers, there is traction being gained, but not enough to be statistically significant. Furthermore in a study, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups were ranked 1 in the United States. This was based on the weight sold, which was not publicly disclosed. It was an aggregated weight, combining units and dollar sales. Industry analysts estimate that it was millions of pounds, likely exceeding 1.5 million pounds nationwide during the Halloween season alone.
With all of the tariffs that are being implemented from the government there is a rise in sugar and cocoa prices, pushing manufacturers towards non-chocolate options. I am curious to see if there will be a decrease in chocolate candy bags this year or if there will be more mixed options. The rise in cost caused the labor costs for manufacturing the candy to increase by approximately 3.8% each year, which impacts margins. Forcing retailers to start selling earlier so they can restock sooner to meet the demands of the consumer. I guess with all of the other Halloween tricks, our treats are becoming one too. So when you are standing in that aisle, contemplating how candy became so expensive, like the rest of the world, just know– it’s a Halloween trick instead of a treat this year.