Candy has been hit by inflation ahead of the Halloween holiday, with skyrocketing prices especially impacting chocolate.
The cost of candy and chewing gum in U.S. cities rose by nearly 10 percent since last September, with prices now 45 percent higher than the previous decade, according to data from the consumer price index.
The upward trend is on par with price increases for beef, eggs and other groceries.
Chocolate prices are 76 percent higher than the past decade and have nearly doubled since October 2020, according to the International Cocoa Organization and ABC7.
As a result, Hershey’s variety packs rose 22 percent since last year while Milky Way, M&M’s, 3 Musketeers and Skittles — all owned by Mars Inc. — have seen cost increases of 12 percent and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups have risen 8 percent, CNN reported.
Groundwork Collaborative found candy is 10.8 percent more expensive this Halloween season compared to last year, according to an analysis of NielsenIQ data first reported by CNN.
Business experts are expecting to see consumers spend $13.1 billion on Halloween this year, with candy sales projected to cover $3.9 billion of that total, NBC reported.
