Spooky Season: Halloween Freight, Trends, and More

Spooky Season: Halloween Freight, Trends, and More

As Halloween approaches, shoppers can expect to see an increase in candy prices, particularly for popular brands like Hershey and Mars. According to recent data, cocoa prices have doubled since the beginning of 2024 and are projected to remain high through at least September 2025.

Image: National Retail Federation (NRF).

This rise in costs is attributed to adverse weather conditions in West Africa, which have resulted in a significant drop in cocoa production. In response, many candy producers are altering their products to rely less on cocoa, leading to an increase in non-chocolate offerings.

For instance, this Halloween season, Hershey has introduced new gummy candies, such as the Shaq-A-Licious, and a cinnamon toast-flavored Kit Kat bar, which do not contain chocolate.

Candy Truckloads:
Interestingly, approximately 600 million pounds of Halloween candy are sold every year, which translates to around 15,000 full truckloads of candy, with each truck carrying about 40,000 pounds. Over the course of eight weeks leading up to Halloween, this amounts to an impressive 1,875 loads per week.

Image: National Retail Federation (NRF).

Early Halloween shopping is becoming increasingly popular, with 47% of survey participants beginning their shopping before October, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF).

This figure has risen from 37% five years ago and indicates a growing trend among consumers eager to prepare for the fall season. Total Halloween spending is expected to reach $11.6 billion this year, slightly down from last year’s record-setting $12.2 billion.

  • Top Spending Categories: Total spending on candy is expected to reach $3.5 billion, while decorations and costumes are anticipated to hit $3.8 billion each.
  • Consumer Participation: Seventy-two percent of consumers plan to celebrate Halloween, with common activities including handing out candy (67%) and decorating homes (52%).
  • Costume Preferences: Among children, popular costumes include Spider-Man (2.6 million) and ghosts (1.8 million), while adults are leaning towards witches (5.8 million) and vampires (3 million).

As the spooky season unfolds, retailers are prepared to meet the demand, offering a variety of Halloween essentials to ensure memorable celebrations despite rising costs and changing product offerings.