Many people are cutting corners this year. Are you one of them?
Slow Start to Sales
The Associated Press reports Halloween candy sales are off to a slow start amid high chocolate prices and affordability concerns
Halloween candy sales are off to a slow start this year as U.S. consumers grapple with high living costs and eye-popping chocolate prices.
Halloween candy sales fell 6.7% in the month ending Oct. 17 compared to the same period last year, according to NielsenIQ, a market research firm. Nielsen also noted an 11.7% decline in candy sales in mid-September, erasing the preseason gains that Halloween candy enjoyed the previous two years.
Chris Costagli, a vice president and food thought leader at NielsenIQ, said high gas prices have worsened Americans’ concerns about affordability, and that’s dampening demand for Halloween treats. As of Friday, the average price of a gallon of regular gasoline in the U.S. was $4.29, up nearly 40% from the prior year.
“I think what you’re seeing now is a consumer that’s spending so much additional money on fuel and housing and clothing and food,” Costagli said. “Some of the decisions they’re making about Halloween candy, it’s not necessarily because, ‘I notice it’s more expensive than last year,’ it’s, ‘I can’t afford it this year because I’ve paid so much more for so many other things. I just don’t have the financial means to buy it this year.’”
This week, discount grocer Aldi was advertising a 135-piece variety pack of Mars Inc. chocolate bars – including Milky Way, Trix and Snickers – for $19.87. That’s almost the same price consumers paid for a 250-piece variety pack five years ago.
BLS Says Prices up 7.7 Percent
Does 7.7 percent include substituting carob for Snickers or jelly beans for M&Ms?
I don’t buy this 44 percent idea over 5 years either.
The Scariest Part of Halloween This Year
The New York Times reports The Scariest Part of Halloween This Year? The Candy Prices.
The average cost of a 100-piece bag has jumped 71 percent in the last five years. Consumers are thinking twice about what they’ll spend.
One recent analysis of the prices on 17 popular Halloween candy varieties showed a 15 percent jump from last year. The average price of a 100-piece bag is $16.96, up a staggering 71 percent since 2021, according to FinanceBuzz, a digital media company. Google searches for “cheap Halloween candy bulk” and “where to buy cheap Halloween candy” are up more than 5,000 percent year-over-year, said Megan Stoner, a spokeswoman for the company.
“The prices have gotten completely out of hand,” said Renni Turpin, 30. This is her first Halloween in a new neighborhood in Charlotte, N.C., and she wants to make a good impression. “No one wants to be the ‘raisin house,’” she said.
We asked New York Times readers if the price of candy was changing how they would approach trick-or-treating this year. More than 200 people responded, and almost 90 percent of them said they were adjusting their approach because the price of candy was so high. They are buying less, shopping sales and heading to bargain grocery outlets. Candy bowls are being cut with small bags of salty snacks, temporary tattoos, Play-Doh and low-cost trinkets they can buy in bulk.
A bag of Reese’s miniatures that weighed 17.6 ounces last year weighs 15.8 ounces now and costs $1.50 more, according to analysts at the web research company Apify.
Reese’s Miniatures Math
The average price above is $10.44. If it’s up $1.50 from a year ago, it was $8.94 a year ago.
That’s a 16.8 percent increase in just one year.
But that was for 17.6 ounces, not this year’s 15.8 ounce bag.
Shrinkflation is 1.8 ounces out of 17.6 ounces. That’s an additional 10.23 percent hit.
Add it all up and Reese’s are about 27 percent higher than a year ago.
Pro Tip on Hiding Candy
Confession
I was very good at this sort of trick when I was a kid. I would hide candy and ice cream bars that mom bought at the back of the freezer and cover them up with other stuff so they were not easily seen.
I got the lion’s share of Eskimo Pies for myself this way. Same with Ding-Dongs and Ho-Hos which are very good frozen.
Trump on Gasoline Prices
“I don’t give a damn. I’m gonna say it. We’re making a freaking fortune.”
That would make a great Democrat campaign ad in every state.
Trump On AI
Trump on Men’s Asses
Dare I suggest Trump does not exactly have his finger on the pulse of the nation?
Trump’s Eight Huge Unforced Errors Will Set MAGA Back for Years
In case you missed it, please see Trump’s Eight Huge Unforced Errors Will Set MAGA Back for Years
The disintegration of MAGA is underway. Trump gets 100 percent of the blame.
No kids come around my home on Halloween. My house looks like a haunted house and the city has no street lights.
Halloween is going to hell…
Haven’t handed out candy in years if not decades. Why would I hand out candy to kids when I don’t even have it in the house?
Is it a coincidence dont eat meat now we have you eat you die ticks , $30 packs of burger and stop eating crap get in shape for war $5 candy bars? Ive had it with this dumbass govt. And now for revenge everyone wants to vote the left back in. Thinking I’m taking George Carlins’ approach from here on out of not giving a fk and just sit back and watch the show.
I regret that kids’ and families’ fun is marred by the ritual of handing out candy, which to me is almost like handing out cigarettes.
I have officially given up this year. I was the last holdout in my Silicon Valley neighborhood, putting up decorations and passing out candy – to 2-3 kids at best. If I set out pumpkins and ghosts now I woud be literally the only one. Nearby neighborhoods are the same. The price is not an issue for me.
The last two years my suburban SoCal home has had a grand total of 3 trick-or-treaters. We’re done buying candy or decorating for Halloween forever, a bullshit marketing holiday to rival Christmas. Parents take their kids to pumpkin farms and parking lot fairs now anyway. High chocolate prices – candy in general – is just what the American waistline needs anyway, let’s make a dent in diabetes shall we?
My neighbor makes a costume every year called “the dumpster fire”- this year it features a Trump mask, Trump flag, pics of Epstein, hegseth, the arch, the mullahs, you get the idea… Its hilarious
at least Americans have a sense of humor even while getting screwed on candy prices, can’t wait for xmas
We bought a couple bags, Reeses and thinks the missus and I like. We don’t get a whole lot of trick or treaters but if we’re going to give ’em out, we want to like them, too.
Yeah, I’m gonna give each kid a can of Coors Light and tell them to give it to their Dad. Then he can buy them some candy. It will cost me less! 😂
https://media.giphy.com/media/sUESEgyN7FmBG/200h.webp
my halloween costume. when downtown phoenix in historic district we’d get over 500 to 700 kids per halloween. fun memories……….back east past few years it’s pretty lame.
Our neighborhood here in Florida does the holidays big time. Typically we get 100-200 kids depending on weather (rain = less kids).
I buy my candy in bulk from BJs Wholesale (a Costco/Sams Club alternative). I got 4 3/4s lbs of Tootsie Rolls/Dots/Pops etc for 13.29. A 210 piece KitKat/Hersheys/PeanutButterCup for 21.99 (way better than the article claiming 100 for that price). 185 Nerds/Taffy etc for 20.99. 360 DumDum lolly pops for 13.99. 85 Halloween theme Fruit Snacks (kids seem to like those as much as candy) for 13.99. I got a slight discount for buying several at the same time.
Chocolate remains expensive but candy in general is still very reasonable at the big box discounters.
Mish – I loved HoHos and Ding Dongs (never tried em frozen) but not Eskimo Pies.
I’m going to hand out pet treats. They’ve gone up, but not as fast as candy.
I recommend Greenies.
What trick-or-treaters? No offices, either?
Yet more evidence that real world inflation is much higher than perpetually lying government numbers.
That’s alright. Dental costs are only up 5.1%.
“You have so many candies to choose from” – coming soon from a MAGA politician near you.
Mish, Kudos on learning Econ early via ratioing to others!
I’m with you, I’ve thought Halloween Candy was WAY up. When I saw prices in the $20’s I don’t even bother. These prices are a non-starter for a discretionary item.
I’m making my own candy this year, as I used to do with my family. Parents who have an issue with that will kindly be asked to buy some for their kids instead, but no one has ever complained to me yet.
Since I am now sailing in the Carribbean, I will only be handing out a few small packs of M&Ms to a few people on the boat 😉
Looks like the Grinch (Trump/GOP & Walrus) will steal Christmas, Thanksgiving & Halloween this year.
Who’s ready to get rid of this filth in a few days?
He’s transitioning and doesn’t know it.
“If you’re transitioning and you know it, clap your hands.”
Any male staffer brave enough to sing that around Donald?
First world problems. When I was a kid in the ancient of times folks used to hand out bananas and apples. Used to love getting tangerines, at least they were sweet. A super treat was bubble gum.
When was this, the thirties in the Congo? My great grandmother used to make fudge by the ten-pound brick during the great depression.
1960s in rural Florida.
Nobody outside the US, not counting the comprador elites in their colonies, do Halloween.
This is trunk or treat country so no need for me to buy any candy as no little kids!
One thing I won’t cut back on, regardless of price, is two boxes (48 bars each) of full-size Snickers bars for Halloween. I’ve been giving them away for over thirty years and some of the kids I used to give them to now bring their kids for trick-or-treat. I happily refrained from having kids and Halloween allows me to enjoy them for three hours or so.
I don’t know about your other readers, but I’m guessing Creamer doesn’t have enough money for candy. Heck, he can’t even afford food and gas! So it looks like a dark porch with all the lights off at his house. Er, does he live in a dorm?
As for me, I’ll be handing out large Willy Wonka style lollipops for the kids (3 bucks a piece!) and giving them a paperback from the Mises Institute on F.A. Hayek. Then hopefully they will learn economics and avoid the unfortunate pitfalls of our boy Creamer!
Happy Halloween (even to you Democrats, who are scary in your own right)!
Nope, plenty here because I put kids having a nice childhood first instead of wanting to rape them.
As for economics, would you like me to dredge up all the times you told us Iran was going to buckle?
And anyone can correct me if I’m wrong here but I think handing out full on paperbacks about economics is pretty much the definition of “creepy around children” behavior. I’m hoping no one wanders into Arthur’s yard this year though, he’ll grab them.
That’s why they call them Rapeublicans!
Wasn’t Bill Clinton one of Epstein Island’s most prominent guests?
Well let’s see, he was the only person mentioned in the files to testify before Congress, answered all the questions, and offered to answer more if needed.
I doubt bubba is a saint, but are you implying that the entire GOP is covering up for Bill Clinton specifically? Wouldn’t that just prove Republicans protect rapists even across the aisle, making them even more the party of child rapists?
In the WH on a pool table on Elleanore M, with Hilldog in hot pursuit. No need to travel.
Geez! What version of “Clue” are we playing?!
He didn’t inhale. Frikkin’ lightweight.
I love that you took that seriously.
Yes, “dredge up all the times I told you iran was going to buckle” as I’d love to see them. My guess is you will fail reading comprehension, once again.
And stop with the kids rape stuff. Seriously. This is something that only assholes would talk about in the way you do.
Taco doesn’t only want to ruin Halloween but is looking forward to spoiling Christmas with his ill-fated tariffs and inflation driven policies.