Halloween Candy Prices Surge Amid Corporate Profiteering Claims

Halloween candy prices have surged significantly over the last several years, with some reports indicating a 78% increase between 2020 and 2025. For the 2026 season, prices rose an average of 15% year-over-year, a rate four times higher than general inflation. This trend is accompanied by shriek-flation, where package sizes for brands like M&M's and Reese's have shrunk by up to 17% since 2019.

The Hershey Company and Mondelez International are facing accusations of corporate profiteering from The Century Foundation and Groundwork Collaborative. Researchers note that while wholesale sugar and corn syrup costs fell, these companies maintained high retail prices despite receiving tariff refunds totaling $15 million following a Supreme Court of the United States ruling. Both companies saw gross profit margins rise by over 30% in the second quarter of 2026.

Industry analysts and companies attribute the costs to a 144% jump in cocoa prices between 2019 and 2024, caused by climate change and production disruptions. Additional pressures include record-high diesel prices and increased costs for petroleum-based plastics due to conflict in the Strait of Hormuz. In response, some manufacturers are reducing cocoa in their recipes, while consumers are shifting toward gummies and hard candies, which have seen more stable price increases of approximately 5%.