The Halloween season is bringing more than ghosts and goblins this year – for many, rising candy prices are the real scare.
Stocking up on Halloween supplies in Toronto’s Golden Triangle neighbourhood, a popular East York spot for trick-or-treaters, Shannon Crookston said she had to take a different approach this year because of rising costs.
“We used to do the full-size chocolate bars every year,” Crookston said.
“But just given the cost, unfortunately, that wasn’t an option anymore, so we’ve kind of had to do the treat size instead.”
According to the Retail Council of Canada, the price of Halloween candy – specifically chocolate – is up between 10 and 20 per cent across the country compared to the same time last year.
Shannon Crookston used to give out full-size chocolate bars for Halloween but she’s switched to treat-size due to rising costs. (Grant Linton/CBC)
Statistics Canada doesn’t track Halloween candy specifically, but it does track confectionery items like chocolate and other sugary treats. For Ontario, the category went up in price by 6.7 per cent in September compared to the same period last year.
That’s consistent with the experience of Quest Atkinson, a local chocolatier and business owner, who said it’s mostly the chocolate items – as opposed to sugary candy – that are up in price.
While many consumers have been feeling the pinch more recently, she said those in the chocolate-making industry have been feeling it for a few years.
Cocoa costs rising due to climate change impacts
“The real increase started coming around 2022,” Atkinson said, noting the price of cocoa climbed around 136 per cent since between then and February 2024, according to a United Nations Trade and Development report
“Last year, the prices hit over $12,000 US per tonne. Now let’s compare this about 10 years ago, just to put things into perspective, per tonne, the prices were $2,000 US,” she added.
That surge has been driven by climate change impacts in West Africa, she said.
“That’s called the cocoa belt, and that’s where the majority of cocoa is supplied to the rest of the world. And so climate change has caused erratic rainfall, heat diseases and plant diseases.”
That’s resulted in decreased output, and in turn, increased costs, Atkinson said.
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Tariffs, shrinkflation also likely factors
Another major factor likely driving up the price is U.S. tariffs, according to Santo Ligotti, vice-president of marketing and membership at the Retail Council of Canada.
“There’s still probably an impact of tariffs based on the supplies needed to make and package the Halloween candy, like the wrappers or the boxes,” he told CBC Toronto.
And on top of that, shrinkflation is also at play, Ligotti said. “Smaller bars, fewer pieces per box … consumers pay the same for less, which lifts the price per unit.”
He wants consumers to understand many of these factors are outside of a retailer’s control.
“It isn’t just like, ‘Oh, they’re charging so much more this year.’”
Atkinson also noted that along with the price increase, the chocolate content in many Halloween items is going down.
For other occasions, she recommends supporting local chocolate businesses to ensure quality.
But for Halloween, Atkinson said non-chocolate items provide more value in the long run.
“For the kids, you just want something small that is cost effective,” she said. “Just get candy.”
