Overview
- Americans are projected to spend about $13.5 billion on Halloween this year, a new high even as many households face tighter budgets.
- Candy and chewing gum prices rose 7.7% year‑over‑year in September, and Wells Fargo estimates chocolate prices are roughly 8% higher than last Halloween.
- Cocoa futures have eased from earlier peaks but that relief has not reached store shelves because much of this season’s chocolate was made from higher‑cost cocoa bought months earlier and because packaging, shipping and tariff costs remain elevated.
- Retailers such as Walmart and Target are cutting prices and running flash deals, and shoppers are switching to small packs and lower‑cocoa alternatives like gummies and sour candies, shrinking chocolate’s sales share.
- Major makers are feeling the pressure: Hershey trimmed its 2026 organic sales growth forecast to 3%, a sign that weaker chocolate demand and cost carryover could squeeze industry profits and change product mix into next year.