Ninety-four percent of Americans will share chocolate and candy with friends and family to treat themselves and others as they prepare for the Halloween season, according to a recent survey from the National Confectioners Association. The statistic demonstrates the “unparalleled” consumer demand fueling remarkable retail trends many are calling “Summerween” and “Augtober.”
NCA found that more than half of Americans start enjoying Halloween candy before Oct. 31.
Of course, the Halloween season is a key moment for the $48 billion confectionery industry and its retail partners. In 2023, Halloween drove $6.4 billion in confectionery retail sales, and NCA expects that number to climb by 3% to 5% in 2024. Pandemic-era enthusiasm for seasonal celebrations has remained, pushing the Halloween season to begin earlier in 2024.
“It is clear that Halloween candy is a bona fide retail phenomenon in 2024, with demand from consumers starting earlier in the year and extending festivities far beyond Oct. 31,” said John Downs, president and CEO of the NCA.
Other insights from the NCA survey include:
97% of Americans who welcome trick-or-treaters will hand out chocolate and candy, and two-thirds of those people say they give trick-or-treaters two or three pieces of candy.
Americans favorite Halloween treats are chocolate, gummy candy, chewy candy, candy corn, hard candy and lollipops.
More than half of parents say they steal from their kids’ Halloween candy stash.
Two-thirds of Americans enjoy treats with a creepy or scary theme., and Americans rank pumpkins, ghosts and bats as their favorite shapes of candy.
Washington-based NCA conducted its seasonal survey in July 2024 using a self-administered online questionnaire. The sample of 1,690 individuals mirrors the U.S. population in terms of key demographics, including age, income, ethnicity and region.
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