US grocery retailer Kroger Co has unveiled its shoppers’ favourite treats for Halloween, with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, followed by KitKat and Hershey bars emerging as the nation’s most popular choices from its shelves, writes Neill Barston.

With the spooky season remaining one of the most significant trading periods for the sector, the company anticipated that this year will see a bumper level of interest from consumers in America this month, where the occasion remains a multi-billion dollar event.

According to figures from the National Confectioners Association, a total of 93% of US citizens will be marking Halloween this year, with candy retaining its spot as the favourite means of marking the season.

“This Halloween, we expect our shoppers will purchase more than 11.5 million bags of fun sized candy— 7.6 million pounds of chocolate—to celebrate the season and make it a memorable experience,” said Carlo Baldan, group vice president of Centre Store Merchandising. “Trick-or-Treaters can look forward to their candy haul having lots of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Snickers and Kit Kat Bars,” he explained of its plans for this year’s celebrations.

The business unveiled its top 10 sellers for the season feature Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Snickers, Kit Kat, Hershey Bar, Tootsie Roll, Twix, M&M’s, Butterfinger, Milky Way
3 Musketeers.

Notably, the grocer revealed that Monster Bags (variety bags priced at $9.99 and up) account for 40 percent of all Halloween candy sales. The top-selling Halloween bag is made by Hershey’s and contains Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Kit Kat Bars, Heath Bars, Whoppers, Milk Duds and Rolos.

As many exhibitors at this year’s Sweets and Snacks Expo in Chicago revealed to Confectionery Production, the season remains a major focus for many product manufacturers, with the season’s celebrations proving a pivotal point of focus in terms of new product development, especially in terms of creating innovative novelty lines.