As candy prices rise, grocery shoppers still plan to celebrate Halloween, but with tradeoffs that help keep spending manageable.
By: Steve Markenson, Vice President, Research & Insights, FMI
Halloween 2026 is shaping up as a “treats, but with tradeoffs” story for families. Americans remain enthusiastic about celebrating Halloween, but elevated prices mean some households are making more deliberate choices about where to spend their Halloween dollars.
Enthusiasm certainly isn’t disappearing. FMI’s U.S Grocery Shopper Trends: Holidays report finds 76% of households plan to celebrate Halloween this year. Among parents, 90% expect to celebrate with their children, and 84% are excited for Halloween. Chocolate remains the favorite Halloween treat, followed by candy corn.
Candy prices might give Halloween shoppers a fright as costs keep rising. Halloween candy prices increased 78% between 2020 and 2025. A 100-piece bag of Halloween candy costs $16.96 this year, 3.5% more than last year and 71% more than in 2021.
Keeping the Celebration, Making Tradeoffs
The U.S Grocery Shopper Trends: Holidays report adds another dimension to the story. Among parents celebrating Halloween, 41% say they plan to buy more candy this year, while 36% plan to trick-or-treat. At the same time, 21% expect to spend less on or skip costumes, and 17% plan to buy or give out less candy.
At first glance, those findings may sound contradictory. But they point to something important about today’s shopper: families aren’t necessarily giving up the traditions they value. Instead, they’re making tradeoffs within the celebration itself.
Some may prioritize the candy bowl while spending less on costumes. Others may continue trick-or-treating while becoming more selective about what they buy or give out. The common thread is finding ways to preserve the Halloween experience while keeping spending manageable.
Value Beyond the Candy Aisle
For food retailers, that makes Halloween an opportunity to demonstrate value. Promotions, loyalty-program savings and clear value choices can help families stretch their Halloween budgets while still participating in the traditions they enjoy.
And despite the higher prices, consumers haven’t lost their appetite for Halloween. U.S. consumers are expected to spend $13.5 billion on Halloween-related items this year, according to the National Retail Federation.
The research shows that shoppers are keeping the treats. They’re just getting smarter about the tradeoffs.
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