Halloween can mean a lot of things to a lot of different people. An excuse to dress up in an absurd costume. An occasion to binge-watch horror movies. An opportunity, regardless of your age, to restock on candy.
Unfortunately, that last thing might be a little bit more difficult this year, if a new report about Halloween candy is any indication. A new analysis from the Century Foundation and the Groundwork Collaborative estimates that candy prices are increasing by 10.8% this year, when compared to 2024 numbers. The numbers are even worse for certain chocolate candy, with Hershey variety packs increasing by over 22%, and Tootsie Rolls and Tootsie Pops by more than 32%.
There are a number of reasons for this increase, including the Trump administration’s tariffs and the rising threat of global warming. The impact on chocolate, in particular, can also be traced to a years-long ongoing cocoa shortage in West Africa, after the location’s crops were impacted by climate change.
“Our food system is really global,” Alex Villacis, a food economist at the Ohio State University, told The Guardian. “Something that is happening in west Africa will ultimately have an impact on your front porch this Halloween season.”
This price increase can amount to packs of Halloween candy costing a few dollars more than they did in previous years — something that might not be apparent at first, especially given the rising prices of… practically everything over the course of this year. But it still might have an impact here and there on families, and those simply eager to get candy, throughout Halloween weekend. Honestly, it maybe already has, given the number of local trunk-or-treat events that have seemed to be happening every weekend in October.
An ode to “Full Bars”…
If this increase is already impacting the fun-size variety packs of candy, it’s pretty safe to assume that it is impacting one of the biggest indulgences of Halloween: full-size candy bars. Are they already available year-round? Yes. But as a kid, nothing beat the joy of being gifted a normal-sized Reese’s Cup or Snickers while out trick-or-treating. It felt luxurious and precious, particularly when compared to the piles of smaller candy in your stash. Even as an adult, occasionally treating myself to a full-size bar of Hershey’s chocolate is something that I cherish, especially around the Halloween season.
The 2012 Halloween episode of Bob’s Burgers, “Full Bars”, encapsulates this joy like few pieces of media have been able to. After the Belcher kids are given permission to trick-or-treat on their own for the first time, they make a pilgrimage to a nearby rich neighborhood where nearly every house gives out full-size candy bars. Hijinks obviously ensue, but the euphoria of being gifted such large quantities of candy makes it all worth it for them.
It has already been weird trying to get into the fall spirit this year, especially when it basically still felt like summer outside until midway through October. As I’ve begrudgingly gotten dressed in shorts and without a cute fall jacket, a part of me has hoped that that temperature change would wake some people up to the reality of global warming (especially caused by AI). Unfortunately, maybe this impact on Halloween candy will be another wake-up call, too.
(featured image: FOX)
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