A spooktaculary fine survey from the National Confectioners Association has revealed the dark secrets of the candy loving public, with some 85% of people across the US planning to celebrate Halloween with sweets, reports Neill Barston.

Moreover, as anyone who walked the aisles of this year’s Sweets & Snacks Expo will have noted, Halloween now forms a central part of many companies new product development, as evidenced by a colourful array of candy making its way to retailers this month, such as Reese’s snack shapes including its Ghosts, pumpkins and bats setting the tone for the season.

Furthermore, the recent NCA-backed event in Las Vegas saw key releases from Mars, Mondelez, Hershey, and Ferrero (pictured below),  among many others, eager to capitalise on what has become a major moment in the confectionery calendar.

For its part, the National Confectioners Association study made a series of major findings, including the fact that 73% of shoppers area now buying their Halloween candy some way ahead of the event, in October, and earlier, while 83% of parents amid to sneaking some of their kids’ treat haul.

As regards confectionery trends – chocolate, hard candy, gummies, and classic candy corn all remain top favourites among the region’s confectionery fans, with pumpkin, skull and ghost shapes being trailed as some of the most sought after confectionery shapes for 2026.

In addition, an overwhelming majority – 94% of parents plan to celebrate the occasion with their kids, according to its survey conducted with 1,000 consumers just ahead of this year’s Sweets & Snacks Expo. 

A dynamic range of key businesses across the sector spoke to Confectionery Production at this year’s flagship confectionery show, with firms underlining the core value of the Halloween season – which has increasingly become almost on a par with Christmas festivities and product launches.

According to figures from Statista, candy sales for the Halloween period have been forecast to rise to an amount of around $3.9 billion, of an annual total sales figure in the US of $55bn. Furthermore, a similar sum of nearly $4bn is anticipated to be spent on costumes and general entertainment surrounding the eerily exciting ghoulish celebrations across the region. Many other territories including the Uk – which is in fact the original home of traditional home of marking the Halloween period, but has long since been overtaken by America in terms of cultural celebrations.

But Brits won’t miss out on celebrations this year, as a variety of manufacturers have responded to demand for innovative products, including Fox’s Burton’s Companies, which is behind core brands including Wagon Wheels, Maryland Cookies and Jammie Dodgers, has confirmed a special spooky biscuit series of its classic Party Rings.

Jo Harwood, Chief Sales and Trade Marketing Officer at FBC, explained that the season had grown notably, with the concept of summerween evolving in the US, with British brands also looking to gain a slice of the action.

She said: “Halloween has turned from a one-day event into a six-to-eight-week trading opportunity in recent years. Shoppers embrace the occasion earlier and looking for affordable, fun ways to get into the spooky spirit, giving retailers an extended selling window.

“We saw the appetite for Party Rings Trick or Treat Minis first-hand last year, so we’re excited to be bringing them back for 2026. With a proven track record of driving incremental sales and recruiting new shoppers, they’re a must-stock for retailers looking to maximise sales throughout spooky season.”