Halloween candy favorites see price spike
Prices for Skittles, Starburst, M&M's are higher ahead of Halloween 2022
All Hallows' Eve is just days away and if you haven't prepped your candy bowl yet be warned: It's going to cost you a pretty penny.
Prices for some of the most popular treats, including Snickers and Reese's, have surged amid high inflation. That's giving shoppers a less-than-sweet surprise at the cash register ahead.
"With Halloween around the corner, we’ve identified a significant change in the candy category as it continues to rise in price on a national average," Datasembly CEO Ben Reich told FOX Business.
The consumer price index showed the candy category jumped 13.1% in September compared with a year ago.
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According to Datasembly's Grocery Price Index, the average price for the top 10 most popular Halloween candies also rose 13% year over year, with some sweets jumping more than 30% in price. That's compared to an 11.2% increase in the food index.
Snickers chocolate bars packaging are seen in a shop in Sulkowice, Poland on Aug. 12, 2021. (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images / Getty Images)
For instance, brands such as Skittles and Starburst climbed 42% and 35%, respectively. Nestle Crunch and Butterfinger had the smallest increase, rising 6% and 7%, respectively.
Skittles, a fruit-flavored candy, produced by Wrigley Company, a division of Mars, Inc., are pictured in this illustration photo on May 19, 2020 in Katwijk, Netherlands. (Yuriko Nakao/Getty Images / Getty Images)
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In addition to extreme weather, rising energy costs and supply chain issues, the "heightened costs of raw sugar have greatly contributed to this year-over-year price spike across the candy category," Reich said.
Last month, Hershey, which manufactures some brands on the list such as Reese's and KitKat, told FOX Business that it experienced "increased cost pressures across our business and as a result took pricing action in 2021 that impacts this Halloween season."
Meanwhile, a Mars Wrigley North America spokesperson told Fox Business that "Mars Wrigley U.S. made a strategic choice to prioritize Halloween and absorbed most of the increased costs for the season."
Privately-held Mars Wrigley is the maker behind well known brands such as Snickers, Skittles and M&M's.
A basket of chocolate bars in the lobby at Allure Resort International Drive hotel. ( Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) / Getty Images)
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HSY | THE HERSHEY CO. | 170.90 | -7.87 | -4.40% |
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Here are 10 popular Halloween candies and their price increases, according to Datasembly:
– Skittles: 42%
– Starburst: 35%
– Snickers: 14%
– M&M's: 14%
– Twix: 13%
– Reese's Peanut Butter Cups: 13%
– Sour Patch Kids: 12%
– KitKat: 11%
– Butterfinger: 7%
– Nestle Crunch: 6%