Americans are buying less Halloween candy this year, with sales down 6.7% in the four weeks ending Oct. 17 compared with a year earlier, according to NielsenIQ data cited by the Associated Press.
NielsenIQ’s Chris Costagli said soaring gas prices — about $4.29 a gallon nationally, up nearly 40% from last year — are adding to broader affordability worries. Shoppers spending more on fuel, housing and food are simply cutting back, he said. Small bags were the only size category growing; large and extra-large bags fell the most.
Candy and gum prices have risen 44% over five years, government data show, compared with 22.5% for groceries overall. Cocoa hit a record $10,710 per metric ton in January 2025, fell to $3,241 by March of this year and has since climbed again as the Iran war disrupted fertilizer supplies in West Africa.
Even cheaper non-chocolate treats aren’t moving: gummies and lollipops averaged about 3% less per pound than last year, but sales didn’t rise.
Sources: Associated Press via KTAR News. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Silar / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
