Chicagoans not spooked by soaring Halloween candy prices

Halloween candy will be haunting shoppers this weekend, as prices have soared from a year ago.

But some local consumers say it hasn’t scared them away from celebrating the holiday.

“In fact, I think we are going to be buying more candy this year,” said Anna Silva, standing in the aisle of a Target on the Northwest Side. “With everything that was going on with the pandemic and the kids not really celebrating it at school for a couple years, we just want them to have a fun day to make up for time lost.”

Silva was examining the price tags on the bags of candy her third- and fifth-graders brought to her, hoping they met with her approval.

“Inflation is kind of menacing but we have made cuts elsewhere,” Silva admitted. “Like, we bought no decorations this year and we usually do. But since prices are going up, we’d rather put the money toward the candy or doing something special for the kids.”

Inflation has meant Halloween candy’s biggest one-year price increase since 1999, according to a report from S&P Global Market Intelligence — 14% higher than last year.

According to the report, Silva’s candy commitment isn’t universal; overall, the amount of sweets being bought is trending lower since last October.

Still, families are expected to spend $3.2 billion on candy this Halloween, and though it’s just 1% more than last year, it’s still a record level of spending, in dollars — about $25 per household, according to the report.

Manny Ramos/Chicago Sun-Times

Cathy Starr of Oak Park said she is also buying the same amount of candy she traditionally does, given the encouraging forecast: dry, with nighttime temperatures in the 50s. During nice weather, she usually purchases 600 to 800 pieces of candy.

“I am probably buying about the same [amount of candy] but we have spent less money this year on decorations and costumes,” Starr, 36, said after placing the seventh bag of candy in her cart. “We kind of took our whole Halloween budget and reallocated it so we can still buy the same amount of candy.”

Starr said she couldn’t justify paying so much more for a Halloween costume, so she and her husband have made their own. They did, however, reluctantly pay for a Venom costume for their 6-year-old son.

In Avondale, Eddie and Ximena were looking over price tags in the candy aisle of a Jewel. The pair, who asked not to share their last name, fumbled over what was actually on sale.

“This is what we find ourselves doing more often now, just kind of going from grocery store to grocery store, trying to find the best deals,” Ximena said. “We come see the prices and if it’s more than like four bucks we just don’t get it.”

But the two were hosting a Halloween party this weekend and, well, candy is kind of needed, Eddie added.

“I think this inflation sucks,” Eddie said. “We are looking at prices a little closer than we used to, but, I mean, at the end of the day, we still got to eat … we can’t start just growing our own food.”

Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times