By admin 
For some adults who love Halloween it’s not always about having the best costume. Some people want to be the house with the best candy.
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But prices on candy might be making that difficult. Costs have increased 7.7% over the past year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
A rise in grocery goods is not new to Americans however, candy, especially chocolate, has seen a significant increase in cost. From 2019 to 2024, cocoa products and corn sweeteners have increased 87.6% making it more expensive to enjoy even a fun size chocolate bar.
During that time, candy, chewing gum and nuts have seen a price spike of 13.9%.
But why is there such a big increase? And how much should shoppers expect to spend on a variety bag of candy?
Here’s what to know:
Why is candy so expensive?
Many factors contribute to the rising cost of candy.
Approximately 65% of the costs of an average chocolate bar are the result of three ingredients: cocoa beans, sugar and corn syrup.
For chocolate, extreme weather and logistical issues in key sugar and cocoa-producing countries have negatively affected cost. Countries such as Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, India, Thailand and Mexico were impacted.
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U.S. products made from cacao increased 143.9% from December 2019 to November 2024, while imported cocoa products increased 107.4% during that time.
Chocolate manufacturers faced much higher ingredient costs which were passed on to shoppers, according to the Farmers Almanac.
How are shoppers reacting to the rise in price?
Shoppers are buying less candy, according to reporting by Associated Press.
Candy sales fell 6.7% in the month ending on Oct. 17 compared to the same period last year, according to NielsenlQ, a market research firm. The decline was first noted in mid-September with an 11.7% decrease in sales, erasing the preseason gains that were seen the last two years.
How much can I expect to pay for a variety pack of candy?
The Sacramento Bee looked at the cost of a variety bag of 200 pieces of chocolate across three stores in Sacramento: Walmart, Safeway and Target.
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This variety bag includes Milk Way, M&Ms, peanut M&Ms, Snickers and Twix.
On Wednesday, Oct. 28, Target sold the variety bag for $25.99.
Walmart sold the same bag for $24.87.
Finally, the Safeway nonmember price was valued at $32.99.