Soaring cost of Halloween treats spooks shoppers

Halloween shoppers in the US seeking sweet relief this spooky season have instead been shocked by the high price of seasonal treats, as cost of living pressures continue to bite.

Demetrio Beltres, a 33-year-old financial adviser searching 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.

A lot of people are finding they are in the same boat as Demetrio this year.

Stephen Zagor, adjunct associate professor at Columbia Business School, said people have only so much to spend, and when everyday essentials are costing more, people may feel less inclined to make this the most extravagant Halloween.

"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 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 prices for Halloween treats have soared by 71% over the past five years - a much bigger increase than the general pace of price rises over the same period.

The price of confectionery generally has been pushed up thanks to higher cocoa prices.

The cost of a tonne of cocoa skyrocketed to a high 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 which affected 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 increased, with inflation running at 3.7%, and fuel prices remain high. Diesel, at $6.32 a gallon, is only 20 cents below the record reached in September.

People shopping for Halloween treats in New York were noticing the price pressures.

"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 affected how much people are buying in the run up to 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 appeared more willing to spend as Halloween neared, but remained 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 is a fan of Halloween as well as traditional Halloween treats, said cutting back on costs, could present a good opportunity to offer 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.

Options could include using a spooky fake skeleton hand to share out treats, rather than letting children reach into a bowl, or dressing up to meet 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."