Lifestyle Sports

By Marion Nestle

October 31 2025

Trick or Treat: Happy Halloween Candy!

Halloween, no matter its origins and promotion of costumes, means only one thing to the candy industry: sales.

And plenty of detailed research helps that along.

America’s Halloween Sweet Tooth: Instacart’s 2025 Candy & Decor Trends: Who loads up on candy the most? Since Utah’s first full year on the Instacart platform, Utah has once again decisively claimed the crown, buying candy 50% more often than the national average in October 2024.

And if you ever wondered which candies sell best?

Selling Halloween candy

Halloween scare: Candy costs are soaring: Trick-or-treaters may get fewer sweets this year as high cocoa prices haunt the candy aisle.
Halloween candy sales soar: Trends & treats driving growth: Halloween is no longer just for kids, it’s a confectionery goldmine… Read more
Confectionery market to hit $278bn by 2032 as candy sales surge: The confectionery market is entering a new growth phase, driven by evolving consumer preferences, seasonal demand, and innovation in non-chocolate formats… Read more
No trick: Halloween 2025 candy sales to hit record highs: After Summerween comes the real deal: Halloween, which expects to see recording spending… Read more

Enjoy!

The post Trick or Treat: Happy Halloween Candy! appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle

Coming Soon: What to Eat Now

My new book What to Eat Now is a field guide to food shopping in America, and a treatise on how to eat well and deliciously.

Forthcoming November 11, 2025

For more information and pre-orders, click here.

You can explore the full archive of this (almost) daily blog at foodpolitics.com, where you'll also find information about my books, articles, media interviews, upcoming lectures, favorite resources, and FAQs.