Halloween Candy Sales Fall 6.7% as High Chocolate Prices Squeeze Shoppers

Halloween candy sales fell 6.7% in the month ending Oct. 17 compared with the same period in 2025, according to market research firm NielsenIQ, the Associated Press reported. NielsenIQ also recorded an 11.7% decline in candy sales in mid-September, a drop that wiped out preseason gains from the previous two years.

Prices are part of the story. Candy and gum prices have climbed 44% over the past five years, compared with a 22.5% increase in prices for food eaten at home, according to the Associated Press. Fox News reported that candy and chewing gum prices rose 8.1% in August from a year earlier, more than double the 3.4% increase in overall consumer prices during the same period.

Chocolate prices have been pushed up by cocoa costs. Global cocoa prices hit a record $10,710 per metric ton in January 2025 amid poor weather in West Africa, which supplies about 70% of the world’s cocoa, and speculative trading in cocoa futures, USA Today reported. Prices later fell before climbing again in the spring, and disruptions to fertilizer supplies linked to the Iran war and forecasts for hot, dry weather tied to El Nino have added to concerns about cocoa production.

Shoppers buy smaller bags and wait for deals

Shoppers are changing how much candy they buy. NielsenIQ found that small bags were the only package sizes recording sales growth through mid-October, while large and extra-large bags saw the steepest declines. Sally Lyons Wyatt, a global executive vice president and food industry adviser at market research firm Circana, told the Associated Press that consumers have increasingly been making smaller, more frequent grocery trips and buying products closer to when they plan to use them.

Discounts are another lever. More than a third of consumers surveyed by the National Retail Federation said they planned to compare prices if Halloween merchandise costs more than expected, while just over a quarter intended to look for coupons or sales.

Forecasts still point to a big Halloween

Even with soft candy sales, the National Retail Federation expects Americans to spend $4.1 billion on Halloween candy this year. Overall Halloween spending is projected to reach $13.5 billion, up from $13.1 billion in 2025, according to the trade group’s survey.

The National Confectioners Association, which represents candy makers, said in a statement Friday to the Associated Press: “We are just now entering the peak period for Halloween and consumer enthusiasm remains incredibly strong.” Lyons Wyatt said she expects softness to continue but does not see the holiday failing: “I do believe we will still see softness overall with candy, but I don’t think Halloween is doomed.”

Reporting based on coverage by USA Today and The Associated Press.