Overview
- Candy is about 10.8% pricier than last year, with some chocolate variety packs up at least 20%, according to analyses of retail data.
- Retailers expanded markdowns on Hershey products ahead of Halloween as higher shelf prices cooled demand, and Hershey reported disappointing seasonal sales and signaled strategy changes.
- Hershey said tariff expenses will total roughly $160 million to $170 million this year, adding to elevated cocoa and other input costs.
- Market data show chocolate volumes down about 6% in the 12 weeks to Oct. 5 as the average price per pound rose nearly 14%, while non‑chocolate Halloween candy volumes rose about 8.3% and chocolate’s share slipped to roughly 44%.
- Cocoa futures spiked above $12,000 per ton in 2024 after poor West African harvests and remain well above pre‑pandemic levels, and new U.S. tariffs on key exporters such as Ivory Coast and Ecuador have further raised costs.