Ghouls, goblins … and gummy bears.

Trick-or-treaters might discover extra fruity sweet than chocolate amongst their Halloween handouts this yr. That needs to be tremendous with youthful customers, who have been gravitating for years towards non-chocolate candies like gummies, freeze-dried treats and different sweets that are available in quite a lot of shapes, colours and flavors.

Final yr, 52% of the overall quantity of Halloween sweet bought within the U.S. was product of chocolate, in response to Dan Sadler, a principal for shopper insights on the market analysis firm Circana. However within the 12 weeks ending Oct. 5, chocolate accounted for 44% of the Halloween sweet bought within the U.S.

Costs could also be a part of it. World cocoa costs greater than quadrupled between January 2023 and January 2025 resulting from poor harvests in West Africa, the place 70% of cocoa is produced. Chocolate sweet is lot costlier in consequence.

Chocolate Halloween sweet within the U.S. price a median of $8.02 per pound within the 12 weeks forward of Oct. 5, whereas non-chocolate sweet price a median of $5.77 per pound, Sadler stated.

Right here’s a take a look at Halloween sweet by the numbers:

The quantity People spent on Halloween sweet in 2024, in response to the Nationwide Confectioners Affiliation. That was 18% of all sweet gross sales final yr.

The variety of M&M’s that Mars Inc. makes every day on the facility in Topeka, Kansas, that produces its Halloween sweet.

The worth for a metric ton of cocoa in January, which was an all-time excessive. Cocoa costs have fallen since then, however Sadler stated it’s going to take months for customers to see the affect of these decrease costs.

Miles between Topeka and New York. In the event you stretched out all of the Snickers bars that Mars makes yearly in Topeka, you possibly can make that journey seven occasions.

Proportion of U.S. customers who purchased sweet for trick-or-treaters final yr, in response to Hershey. Hershey stated 45% of customers reported shopping for Halloween sweet for themselves.

Market share for Hershey in Halloween sweet final yr, making it the highest performer. Hershey stated its Halloween assortment — which incorporates Reese’s, Equipment Kat and Almond Pleasure — was the highest vendor final Halloween.

Date which Mars began rolling Halloween sweet out to U.S. shops this yr. Mars makes Snickers, M&Ms, Skittles, Starburst and different candies.

Progress in greenback gross sales of non-chocolate sweet within the U.S. in 2024, in response to the Nationwide Confectioners Affiliation. Chocolate sweet gross sales, compared, grew 0.4%.

Common variety of weeks forward of Halloween that People purchase Halloween sweet, in response to Mars. Technology Z buys it sooner, round 4.5 weeks prematurely.

Period of time Mars takes to plan for a Halloween season.