Soaring cost of Halloween treats spooks shoppers

**Soaring cost of Halloween treats spooks shoppers**

US Halloween shoppers hoping for some sweet relief this spooky season have instead been startled by the steep prices of seasonal treats, as cost-of-living pressures keep weighing on households.

Demetrio Beltres, a 33-year-old financial adviser looking for Halloween bargains for trick-or-treaters, said he was spending more than his usual $15 (£11) to $20 this year because prices were much higher.

"I'm trying to spend at least $20 to $30 just to make sure that I get the kids something," he said, while browsing the rows of colour options at a Target in Manhattan.

Many others are finding themselves in the same position as Demetrio this year.

Stephen Zagor, adjunct associate professor at Columbia Business School, said people only have so much to spend, and when everyday essentials cost more, they may feel less willing to make Halloween especially extravagant.

"I think the holiday's gotten scary, more from an economic [perspective], than it might be for scaring people at the door," he said.

Analysis from left-leaning non-profit Groundwork Collaborative and the Century Foundation found that the cost of popular Halloween chocolates and confectionery was 15.3% higher this year than in 2025.

Separate research from personal finance firm Finance Buzz found that prices for Halloween treats have jumped 71% over the past five years - a far larger rise than the overall pace of price increases over the same period.

Confectionery prices in general have been driven up by higher cocoa costs.

The price of a tonne of cocoa surged to a peak of more than $10,700 in January 2025, according to figures from the International Monetary Fund via the Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis, as climate change contributed to severe weather that hit supplies.

"The cocoa that is now being consumed was bought when the prices were high," said Zagor, who specialises in food businesses.

Cost-of-living pressures have also intensified, with inflation running at 3.7%, and fuel prices remain elevated. Diesel, at $6.32 a gallon, is only 20 cents below the record set in September.

Shoppers buying Halloween treats in New York were noticing the price strain.

"Everything is expensive, so it does not surprise me that Halloween candy is expensive too," said Mallory, who declined to give her last name.

The combined cost-of-living pressures have influenced how much people are purchasing ahead of the holiday, according to consumer and market research company Nielsen IQ. It found Halloween treat sales were down 11.7% by the middle of September, and by the middle of October sales were down 6.7%.

Chris Costagli, NielsenIQ's vice-president of US food thought leadership, said shoppers seemed more willing to spend as Halloween approached, but were still cautious.

"Sales have improved considerably from where we started in September, with smaller packs gaining ground while larger sizes continue to struggle," he said.

"This feels like a consumer who still wants the occasion, but is paying much closer attention to what goes into the basket."

Zagor, who enjoys Halloween as well as traditional Halloween treats, said trimming costs could be a chance to give trick-or-treaters a different kind of experience when they come to your door.

"It could be how you present the candy when kids come to your house as much as the one piece of candy that you're going to give," he said.

Possible ideas include using a spooky fake skeleton hand to hand out treats, rather than letting children reach into a bowl, or dressing up to greet trick-or-treaters.

Zagor said making your own treats is another option, inviting people over to make them together.

"You could certainly do something slightly magical, slightly interesting," he suggested.

"The trick literally could be as important as the treat."